Wasteland
by Roucarnage
Summary: Born with an extinct bloodline, Zetsu was considered nothing more than a living weapon in times of war. When the Akatsuki acquired her, a lifetime of servitude was expected. Instead she discovered the organization doubled as a dysfunctional family with an overprotective father figure, sibling rivalry, puppy love, and tragedy. An uncanon story about Zetsu and the Akatsuki.
1. Prologue

**AN: **_Hello. This shall be my first story on this account and it's an oddity due to the fact it will be completely uncanon. It'll be centric around Zetsu from childhood to the 'current plot'. It's a personal project of mine to help with my practice of writing in the 3__rd__ person and just to keep me writing. So please, do not flame. It won't be the best of stories and I know that already. For those which are interested, please comment or alert this? It would truly encourage me. Read and enjoy. _

**Warning(s):**_**GENDERBEND, OCs and OOC**__. If you do not like this, leave. Just leave._

**EDIT: **_Story edited as of (June 4__th__): Minor edits to improve quality. _

…

**Wasteland**

**Mayfly Arc:**

**Prologue **

_13__th__, Month 5_

_Today, two more experiments resulted in failure, neither capable of containing the Mayfly. Both were children, K-MF-127, Satori, Aged 7, and K-MF-203, Natsuko, Aged 9. Their tiny bodies were shortly fed to K-MF-001, who consumed them both within the hour and violently. I vomited this morning's tea and biscuits. Our remaining experiment numbers have dwindled, excluding K-MF-001 and K-MF-084, and orphanage has refused to supply us with anymore samples or the hospital with their sickly, otherwise people will begin to question. If we are unable to conquer up more experiments, we will have to enlist outside help once more or the project will be brought to a dead halt or worse, switch hands. Such a result would be undesirable to the government, especially before K-MF-001's field test to warrant more funding from the council. Hopefully, with the recent success of K-MF-084, all we will need is the two experiments and testing will cease completely. _

The afternoon's dairy entry was concluded as Akiyama Kiyoshi tucked his pen into the broken spine of the tattered, old notebook before removing his glasses and burying his face into his hands.

For several years, he had studied adamantly to become a doctor. The first of a family of petty farmers. His life-long dream to care for the ill and the meek, but instead, he was enlisted under a corrupt government and instead of saving lives, he was taking them. Weeding through innocent lives like cattle. Worse, they were children. Young being which had never had a chance at life before they were stolen away to be poked and prodded. At the start of his days, he told himself he was much more than a cog in a machine, that this project was much more. But at the end of the day, he was still that one thing he loathed most about himself. He was a child killer.

His sour stomach twisted at those words and his throat burned with searing bile which he swallowed down thickly. Outside his office door, the hallways were alive with chatter, those others oblivious to his inner struggle as they conserved, about side-projects, home and love life and even their children. He dared not think of his own family, of his daughter whom he fed and clothed with his blood-soaked paychecks. Kiyoshi could even hear Ryouta boasting loudly to their coworkers about K-MF-001, whose project team he headed, in every minute, gruesome detail. His stomach lurched again as he listened and he decided to calm his riled insides with coffee.

He replaced his glasses upon his nose and stood stiffly from his chair, taking a step towards the closed door before spying the plush bear sitting on his desk. It was old, a relic of his daughter's baby years, and its soft purple fluff was dirt-stained and ruptured in spots where stuffing peeked through. He had stolen it from his daughter's room as she slept after she insisted she was too old for the toy and his wife demanded he dispose of it. He had decided on a better use for it.

Taking a moment, he took the toy and tucked it securely under his arm before he left the safe confides of his office into the brightly lit hallways of the underground laboratories. He received cheerful greetings from the fellow professors and doctors which roamed the halls to their various appointments and he returned them all with a half-smile and mumbled appreciation. He did not encounter Ryouta, whose laughter resounded around the laboratories, much to his relief. He did not think he was mentally or physically capable of hearing the man's bragging about superiority with K-MF-001 compared to K-MF-084 whom was still in the infancy of her development and Kiyoshi oversaw. If he did, Kiyoshi could not promise himself he wouldn't slug the man in the jaw.

Thankfully, his journey between his office and the breakroom was a quiet one and when he entered the room, he was delighted to see Ayano, a co-worker and close friend, pouring herself a cup of pure black coffee. Looking as ragged as he. She had been the one on clock when the two children perished. There had been many before them, yet she took every death as harsh as the first. As did he.

"Kiyoshi-kun," The nurse greeted once she noticed Kiyoshi, smiling softly. "You look horrible."

Kiyoshi laughed, his blonde curls bouncing. "Yes, as do you Ayano-chan." He plucked a styrofoam cup from its corral and grabbed the fresh coffee pot, pouring himself a completely black cup as well before taking a gulp of the piping beverage and heaving a sigh. "This morning was disastrous." _'At least it was only two of them this time.' _He thought the next moment.

"Yes," Ayana agreed quietly. "Last night, both of them were in good health and conscious, then this morning…cardiac arrest. The Mayday rejected them. Again." She trailed off, shaking her head whilst staring down mournfully at her coffee.

"The Mayday only accepts those which possess the bloodline." Kiyoshi sipped his coffee, the hot liquid soothing his rowdy stomach and tangled nerves. "That is why only 001 and 084 have been so successful. It's foolish for Tarou to expect us to take a thousand-year old bloodline and optimize it so it accepts anyone as its host without the need of a bloodline. If that was possible, people would be clamoring to possess the Sharingan or other powerful kekkei genkai."

"Speaking of 001 and Tarou, have you heard his proposal of a field test to the council is today?"

Kiyoshi snorted, adjusting his glasses. "Of course, Ryouta is rather prideful of 001 and has been boasting to whomever will led him an ear. He's eager to test 001 on more lively targets, such as the Iwagakure squatter camp outside the village. Such a thing would be suicidal. It would rouse the Iwagakure government onto our affairs if 001 fails. The council would never approve of such a risky move."

"And what if the council approves and 001 does fail? What of the project?"

"Then the project will be cancelled. But, if the council forgives such a blunder, then I imagine 001 will have to be reevaluated and the project has the possibility of falling onto 084."

"But 084 was not designed for direct combat so how would that be possible?"

Kiyoshi clenched the cup in his hand, the fragile material groaning from the pressure and threatened to rupture hot coffee. "I fear she will have to be optimized with the more aggressive strain of Mayfly such as 001 was." The thought revolted him. 084 was so young and a good girl. She reminded him of his own daughter and the two were not too far apart in age. She was the only reason he remained on the Mayfly project. To become the inhuman likes of which 001 had, it made him shutter.

An uncomfortable silence settled over them both as they lamented about the current events and possible future, sipping their coffees quietly. After a solid minute of the muteness, Ayana spyed the plush bear and was eager to transition to a lighter subject. "That's a cute bear."

Kiyoshi remembered the toy which had tagged along with him and unwedged it from under his arm where he had been suffocating the poor thing. "Oh yes. It was an old bear of Miku's and she said she no longer wanted it so I brought it for 084. Hopefully she's not too old for it either." He smiled down at the bear which stared up at him with its purple, buttoned eyes.

Ayana smiled, brushing her ebony locks from her face. "I'm sure she'll love it. She loves everything you do for her, afterall."

"I hope so. Has her daily chemo session concluded? I would like to visit her as soon possible. If Tarou is speaking to the council today then a meeting is sure to be held directly after about what was said and everyone knows Tarou loves to hear himself speak."

"I would say so. Her sessions usually finish at noon. If not then soon I'm positive."

"Perfect." Kiyoshi downed the rest of his drink in a single gulp before tossing the cup in the trashcan nearby. "I will see you after the meeting, Ayana-chan. If not, then tomorrow."

"Same, Kiyoshi-kun."

The two bidded their farewells before Kiyoshi headed to the infirmary wing where K-MF-084 was currently being contained, cradling the ragged bear against his chest. He scanned his identification card at the entrance and the thick steel door which locked away the wing unbarred itself with a resounding thud before slowly opening inwards. The dimmed halls were deathly quiet as the only sound was of those of his footfalls against the metal walkway. The lack of notable life meant the nurses which were stationed within the wing had concluded their duties and left to their other shifts. Due to the diminishing numbers of patients, it was not uncommon for the few which reminded to be left alone and left untended unless in the case of emergency or their daily care.

Bypassing the door to the infirmary ward itself, Kiyoshi nudged open the door and peeked inside. The room was darkened and quiet except the blinking lights and beeping of the medical equipment and soft breathing of the handful sleeping children which remained. As he searched for 084's bed in the darkness, he navigated through the arrangement of beds, stepping softly so not to rouse any of the ill children and disturb their desperately needed rest. Finally towards the back of the ward, he spotted the girl's trademark moss green hair, illuminated by the glow of the towering medical machines installed besides her bed.

Setting the bear on the bed, he reached over and carefully roused her from her slumber. A few moments later, the girl's caramel eyes rolled out from beneath their lids, the glowing orbs staring into the doctor's opposing chocolate ones and immediately, her chapped lips parted into a grin, exposing her inhume canines. Kiyoshi returned the unsettling smile without hesitation.

"Hey," He greeted, moving the bear so it sat within her vision. "I bought you a friend."

The young teenager groped the toy with her syringe-riddled hand and observed it, tracing the various tears and scruffs with her thin fingers before smiling again and proceeding to tuck the bear securely beneath her chin.

"Do you like it?" She nodded and Kiyoshi chuckled, petting his hand through her matted locks. "Are you feeling well?" There was a moment of hesitation, then she nodded. Despite her attempts to reinsure him, Kiyoshi knew it was a lie.

The chemo which she endured to monitor the Mayfly was an uncomfortable process filled with jabbed and poking of needles and torturous side effects such as vomiting, fever-induced shaking and exhaustion. He said nothing though, and just patted her head again. Such a courageous girl.

Suddenly, Kiyoshi's pager vibrated and he unhooked it from his belt, reading the message on the lit screen which simply read 'meeting'. He sighed and placed it away before returning his attention to the girl which was dozing off again, clenching the bear close.

"I have to leave now. I'll see you again soon, alright?" She nodded and he tucked the wool blanket around her petite form. "Sleep well, Zetsu." And with that, he got up and left as quietly as he had entered, leaving the girl to resume her rest.

…

Once he left the infirmary wing, he mingled into the moderate-sized group of scientists and doctors which were migrating towards the meeting room. Nurses were not involved in meetings so he did not see Ayana much to his familiar disappointment. He hated attending these meetings alone as he did not have a research team such as Ryouta and only Ayana to accompany him during the day. He liked the moral support they supplied each other especially when the news was a hard one to swallow and something told him this would one of those times.

That feeling was only reinforced when he entered the quarters which meetings were held and seated besides Tarou, he instantly spotted Ryouta, that familiar shit-eating grin of his plastered to his pale face. Kiyoshi's stomach began doing backflips again with anxiety and he concentrated on the sliver of hope that the meeting was completely unrelated to the Tarou's proposal to the council. Everyone took their respected seats along the elongated meeting table and Kiyoshi sat down opposite of Ryouta also besides Tarou. Ryouta smirked at Kiyoshi and the blonde dropped his sight to his lap, that urge of whacking the other man returning once again.

"Well then, it seems everyone is here so we can begin." Tarou spoke once everyone was seated and whispered conversations hushed. The obese man adjusted himself in his chair which groaned keenly, as to plead for mercy from the man's weight. "As you all know, today, I spoke with the council about several things. One of those things being the potential of K-MF-001's field test. Well…it was approved!"

Applause broke out amongst the attendance and everyone began congratulating each other on their contribution to the astounding news. Everyone except Kiyoshi as he struggled with his stomach once more and even retaining consciousness. The news had indeed been as he feared and debated about leaving to avoid the rest of it.

"Now, Hiruma Ryouta, project head of K-MF-001, shall speak." Ryouta stood and the applause increased in pitch, even with some people hooting and hollering. The man clearly relished in the praise. Kiyoshi's head began to subtly throb with a headache.

"Thank you, Tarou-sama, for speaking to the council. Without you we would have never reached this point." Ryouta remarked and a small round of applause was given to Tarou whom nodded in approval of the credit. Despite being seated right beside his boss, Kiyoshi's hands remained firmly on his quivering knees, his knuckles paling from the tension. "Now then, I'm sure some of you are questioning what 'field test' means exactly."

Ryouta gestured his assistant over and she bent beneath the table, producing a storage box stacked with thick, yellowed files within. She removed one at a time and handed them to the closest person who passed to the next then the next until everyone had a copy of the file in their hand, including Kiyoshi.

"Well if you open you packets and read page seven, you'll see…"

Kiyoshi flipped open the folder and upon the neatly arranged paperwork, he immediately noticed what was the transcript detailing the original Mayfly project. A flood of repressed memories washed over him and Ryouta's voice faded out as he read through the report which was written word for word in Kiyoshi's own handwriting.

**PROJECT MAYFLY**

**PROJECT HEAD: AKIYAMA KIYOSHI**

**SUBJECTS: [NAMES CLASSIFIED] **

**SUBJECT NO:** K-MF-001, K-MF-002

**DATE: [DATE CLASSIFIED]**

**DESCRIPTION:** _K-MF-001 and K-MF-002 are both carriers of the Mayfly and last known remaining of the bloodline. They were brought in willingly for testing. Testing shall be carried out monthly for a year period to conceive a cure for the violent mutations which have been observed with the Mayfly. _

**[DATE CLASSIFIED]:** _K-MF-001 and K-MF-002 undergo studying to extract samples of the Mayfly. Both have been confirmed to possess the __**SAFE**__ strain of Mayfly. Modification shall be performed to neuter the strain from the ability to mutate then be reintroduced to subjects. _

**[DATE CLASSIFIED]:** _The __**DISABLED**__ strain of Mayfly was introduced to K-MF-001 and K-MF-002. Testing reveals the __**SAFE**__ strain has rejected the __**DISABLED**__ strain. More examples have been extracted and farther testing to be carried out._

**[DATE CLASSIFIED]:** _Alternatives of the__** DISABLED**__ strain have failed. K-MF-001 has been displaying unsettling side effects. Excessive drooling, loss of appetite and memory loss. Testing reveals his __**SAFE**__ strain has begun to mutate. K-MF-002 displays no abnormities and her strain remains stable. The source of mutation is unknown but all future testing on both subjects will be ceased after only three months. K-MF-001 will be monitored and contained._

**[DATE CLASSIFIED]:** _K-MF-001's symptoms have remained stable for an entire month. He has been deemed safe enough for release from containment and reunited with his daughter. The project is too dangerous to proceed and both will be released but are required to return to the hospital for monthly check-ups to insure no farther mutations of the Mayfly. _

The transcript ended there. Shortly after, that had been when the Kusagakure government stepped in and Tarou was personally assigned over the dying project.

Kiyoshi remembered that day well and the thrill he experienced, assuming the government was assisting their failed attempts to domesticate the bloodline and resurrect it from extinction. However, those hopes had been quickly dashed when his team was released and K-MF-001 and K-MF-002 were brought back in for testing once again. But not for their benefit, but the benefit of Kusagakure and their current position in the rumoured approaching war.

Samples of the deemed 'unstable' strain were recovered from records and used on the two subjects in an attempt to agitate the bloodline into mutating then more subjects were brought in, in the shape of orphans and the sickly to test if they could be infected with the Mayfly. Tests to 'introduce' the bloodline to the subjects proved a failure with a one-hundred percent fatally rate. Attempts to mutate the bloodline were successful however, with both K-MF-001 and K-MF-002 propelled from wielding 'safe' strains to 'unstable' strains within a period of months.

'_That was when she killed herself.'_ Kiyoshi thought, skimming the underside of his thumb nail with his teeth. _'Complications with the Mayfly. Bisected herself.'_

It had been the most devastating day of Kiyoshi's life. He had cared for the girl throughout a period of years as her doctor. He would describe her as a daughter before his had been born. She had only been nine, a beautifully young life wasted.

'_Then you, 001, surcame to the Mayfly, you couldn't handle her death. Then you killed two doctors shortly after, tore them to shreds then ate them before anyone could safely contain you in your grief.'_ His chewing intensified as the nail splintered and blood oozed before his teeth focused their mindless chewing on another nail. _'But we didn't cancel the project, because then we discovered 084, and the project resumed, even after a decade. Now they're risking the livelihood of you both with this field test. I failed you, 001 and your daughter, but I won't fail 084. I won't, I won't…I.'_

"Kiyoshi."

Kiyoshi jumped in his seat and glanced around, realizing everyone was staring at him, especially Ryouta and Tarou who both had their eyebrows quirked at the fidgeting man. Kiyoshi felt his face drenched in warm sweat and his fingers ached after having chewed two of his nails to the quick during his frantic reflecting. Ryouta forced a laugh to break the awkwardness, making Kiyoshi flinch again and lick the sticky blood from his lips.

"Come on, Kiyoshi. Didn't think I was that boring." Everyone chuckled and the black-haired man cleared his throat. "Would you like to share on your plans with K-MF-084? Because obviously, K-MF-001 isn't interesting enough for you." A few more snickers sounded. Kiyoshi swallowed thickly and opened his mouth to speak in an attempt to defend himself when Tarou interrupted.

"No plans will be needed. K-MF-001's field test shall be a success and we will have no need for K-MF-084. No need to worry yourself, Kiyoshi." The reinsurance rung hollow and Kiyoshi caught the subtle threat smuggled among the words. _No need for K-MF-084._ Suddenly, his stomach lurched and bitter bile spilled into his mouth.

Without a word, Kiyoshi snatched up the file, scattering some of the paperwork to the floor, and fled from the conference room, hand slapped over his bulging mouth. Ayana had been waiting outside the room along with a few other nurses for news when Kiyoshi rushed through the doors, startling the women as they stumbled away.

"Kiyoshi-kun?" She gasped as the man ran past, making a b-line for the nearest restroom and she didn't waste a second to follow after him despite the fact he entered the men's bathroom.

Once inside, Kiyoshi collapsed into a stall and tossed the files aside before he vomited violently into the recently cleared toilet. Ayana entered a mere millisecond behind and dropped to her knees behind her friend, instinctively groping for the man's hair and yanking the blonde curls back from the backsplash. He retched for several minutes before his stomach was unable to produce anymore of its contents and he dry-heaved before finally stopped, trembling and gasping for breath.

Ayana tore some paper from its roller and used it to dab away the sweat that coursed down Kiyoshi's face and the vomit caked on his lips, sighing to herself. "I'm guessing the meeting did not go well?"

Kiyoshi shook his head, inhaling a shaky breath. "No…no it did not."

**AN:**_ This is the prologue. Originally, it was meant to be longer but I divided it in half when I felt it was carrying on too much. There are going to be a few OCs in the beginning so if you do not like them then I apologize. Next chapter when the second half of this chapter and the introduction of the Akatsuki. Thank you for reading and please comment?_


	2. Arc 1: Chapter 1

**AN: EDIT: **_**Chapter has been edited as of (June 4**__**th**__**) Edits include: Plot tweaks to ending scene concerning Akatsuki introduction. **_

**Wasteland**

**Mayfly Arc**

**Chapter 1**

"Would you like for me to walk you home?" Ayana asked quietly, watching as Kiyoshi packed his suitcase. They had returned to the doctor's cramped office after he had requested the rest of the day off due to his breakdown. Surprisingly, Tarou had been supportive, permitting it and even offered him to talk the next few days off. Kiyoshi considered it, as K-MF-001's field test was scheduled at the end of the week and he was unsure if he possessed the mental capability to attend the event.

"I'll be fine, Ayana-chan. I'm just going to go home and rest." Ayana nodded and Kiyoshi shoveled in whatever paperwork he suspected he might need during his downtime before heaving the leather suitcase to his side, feeling considerably heavier in his exhausted state. "If I take the next few days off, I can trust you to care for 084, yes?"

"Of course." The woman answered.

He nodded, tucking his hair behind his ear. "Good. She's not due for any testing so she should be left alone until I return. But, if anything comes up, please inform me. These days will be uncertain and I want nothing to happen to her while I'm gone."

"Absolutely, Kiyoshi-kun. She will be monitored closely."

"Thank you, Ayana-chan." He supplied a kiss on his forehead, a purely platonic gesture.

Ayana accompanied Kiyoshi as he departed the laboratories, loading onto the elevator in the west wing which was connected to the sizable hospital which had been built above ground to guise the affairs occurring below. Especially from Iwagakure eye. While they rode the several stories up to the hospital, Kiyoshi lost himself once more to his buzzing thoughts as he realized her would have to begin creating a back-up plan if everything were to go wrong. He had cared for 084 since she was arrived from the orphanage seven years prior and considered her a second daughter to him due to it. He did not want to see the same fate of 001 and 002 occur again and would protect her by any means. Even it meant risking his job or even his own welfare.

The elevator chugged to its destination and the bell rung as the doors parted, startling Kiyoshi from his thoughts and he silently followed Ayana as stepped off into the active employee only break room which reeked of freshly brewed coffee and smoke. A few of the nurses which worked the infirmary ward in the laborites were there, taking their breaks before they began their second shift at the hospital itself. They greeted the two as they passed by and Kiyoshi wondered how they could appear so calm, smoking their cigarettes and gossiping, despite the death of two innocent children mere hours before. He did not return their friendliness.

The hospital was quiet as they navigated the white halls to the front entrance, the only noises being the beeping of machinery and distant conversations. Hardly anyone were in the beds of the rooms which they passed. Due to the village's small population, there was not much use for the hospital which had been built as a ruse. Those which did come in, if they were rendered ill enough, would be relocated to the laboratories for fodder and their love ones told of their abrupt death. If questioned about the body, they were supplied an urn of ashes, ashes gathered from a fire pit, and told a fib their body had been cremated for them by the hospital. When they heard it had been free, they usually quieted down and left peacefully with the faked ashes of their family or friend. When in reality, their loved ones were either alive, though not for long, and being used as a host for the Mayfly or supper for 001. Kiyoshi felt his abused stomach clench at the thought, but he convinced himself it was the overpowering stench of bleach, knowing the acknowledgement of his role in everything would make him heave again.

Finally, they stepped into the main lobby of the hospital. Another nurse was lounged behind the front counter, her eyes glued to the fashion magazine and grunted a farewell as Kiyoshi and Ayana departed through the doors. It was hardly evening and the air was crisp with a hint of oncoming rain and the surrounding plant-life which engulfed the village. Barely anyone roamed the dusty streets and those which were still out at this hour were shopkeepers closing shop or people walking home such as they.

Despite being a hidden village, the Kusagakure was smaller than the rest and a fragment of the superpower is once. After the devastation of the Second Shinobi World War, the village was forced to repay a crippling debt by the Five Nations due to the damage they had caused in the war. Mainly the inhumane acts of those which possessed the Mayfly. It had bankrupted them and decades later, they had never recovered which explained the lack of military, the abandoned buildings, such as schools and hospitals, and humble population.

"It's cold tonight." Kiyoshi blinked and glanced over at Ayana, who had taken her red scarf from her bag and wrapped it around her neck. It complained her black hair so well and he debated about telling her but bit his tongue.

She noticed the man's steady gazing and smiled. "Smells like rain also. We should both get home before we're caught in it." Kiyoshi nodded lamely and they increased their pace towards his home.

Kiyoshi's house was located in the back of the village, amongst the towering foliage and within the shadow of a crumbling building which had once functioned as an Academy, once upon a time training Kusagakure's most talented. Now it was a shelter for the local vermin and distant memories.

As they circled the rotting structure, a modest cottage could be seen. The open windows were illuminated and even from their distance, a delicious scent was wafting throughout the air though Kiyoshi could not muster any hunger from the smell due to his unsettled stomach. He looked at Ayana who had her nose pointed towards the air, inhaling the aroma and Kiyoshi wondered if he should invite her in for dinner. It was just a thought though, when he remembered the woman was due for his shift at the hospital and also his wife, Sayuri, who was highly disapproving of Ayana's presence and would never allow the other woman within the house. He assumed it to be jealously as he spent more time with the nurse than his own wife due to his career. Or perhaps distain for the prettier and younger woman. Either or.

Suddenly, Kiyoshi swiveled on his heel towards Ayana who paused in her step. "I'm fine from here, Ayana-chan. You should be heading off to the hospital before you're clocked late." He told her gently.

"Alright, if you're sure, Kiyoshi-kun. I will see you whenever you feel well enough to return to work and I promise to watch over 084. She'll be safe, I swear it."

The blonde man nodded. "That's all I ask. Thank you."

They hugged before exchanging farewells and Kiyoshi watched Ayana's retreating back until it disappeared safely into the distance. He then turned away himself and walked the short distance to his house. The door was unlocked and he stepped inside, relishing the warmth which immediately embraced his shivering bones. As he disposed his bag on the coat rack, Sayuri rounded the kitchen corner.

"You're home early. Actually going to join us for dinner tonight?" The distain in her voice was painfully obvious and Kiyoshi sighed as he shrugged off his coat. Not this again.

"No, I will not. I became ill at the hospital, I'm going to lay down." He said as he hung his coat and made his way toward their bedroom when he heard Sayuri hot on his heels.

"Kiyoshi, do not bullshit me!" She seethed, venom spewing from her lips. "You never eat with us anymore, not morning or night. You spend all your time at the hospital and with her." Her, referencing Ayana. Kiyoshi turned towards wife. This argument had gotten old the first time she had brought it up. Now it was beginning to irk him.

"Sayuri, there is nothing between Ayana and I. She is merely a nurse I work closely with in the children's ward." He shot back, the lie feeling thick on his tongue. If she knew the truth, a possible affair would be the least of their problems. "I will not be having this discussion with you again, Sayuri-"

"I will not drop this, Kiyoshi! Not when you neglect your own daughter and wife! If you think-"

"Mom? Dad?"

Both parties ceased their arguing and looked over, seeing their daughter, Miku, standing in the mouth of the hallway. She glanced between her feuding parents nervously before walking to her father, cautiously wrapping her arms around his waist. "Welcome home, dad. You're home early."

"Hello, Miku, sweetheart." He cooed, ruffling the girl's matching blonde locks. "I had an incident at work, so I'm not feeling very well."

"Oh, are you going to eat with us?" She asked quietly, peeking around her father to her mother who retreated back into the kitchen and the sound of pots being clanged together emitted a moment later.

"No, sweetheart. I'm going to lay down. But I have the next few days off so you and I can have all the time in the world together." Immediately, his daughter's face lit up and she smiled widely. Kiyoshi ignored the guilt gnawing at the back of his subconscious. He hadn't spent that much time with his daughter for the last year.

"Dinner." Sayuri announced from the kitchen and carried out a pot to the dining table which had been neatly arranged. Only with two plates, Kiyoshi noticed. He patted his daughter's head before detaching her from his waist and shooing her off to dinner. The girl bounced off before pausing, looking at her father who shuffled off to his bedroom.

"Dad?"

"Yes, sweetheart?" Kiyoshi asked, stopping in the hallway.

"I love you." She said.

"I love you too." He replied back before retiring to his room as the girl skipped off to the table to eat supper with her mother alone. Kiyoshi's heart ached at the three words which he could not recall the last instance which he spoke them to his own daughter.

As he entered his and wife's shared room, his worries came creeping once more as he undressed. He had the next few days off yet he wouldn't have a moment of rest. The field test, 084, Ayana, it was enough to make his head spin. Yet, despite the anxieties pledging him, he forced himself to concentrate on Miyu. He would finally have time with his daughter and he would be robbing himself and her if he couldn't enjoy the time. Everything could wait until he returned to the laboratories. Unless Ayana came to him, he should not worry or he would be spouting grey hair before his forties.

He yanked off his shirt and tossed it aside along with his shoes before he stood to close the open window so he could rest. The wind had begun to whip up with the approaching storm and the light from the cottage cast on the swaying trees outside, creating dances figures in the shadows that his exhausted mind actually mistook them for people for the briefest second. He scolded himself for his silliness, last thing he needed was paranoia too, and drew the blinds closed, blocking out the outside world before he switched off the light to sleep.

Outside the cottage, a figure stared into the closed window before striking a cigarette and walking away.

An extensive rainstorm engulfed the Land of Rivers, grasping the land with heavy downpours and whipping winds throughout the night. In a forest secluded from the wandering eye, a humble cabin in the woods was tossed about by the storm. The wooden structure groaned, desperately clinging to the side of the incline it was perched on. The current occupant descended the stairwell to the basement, the steps creaking and shifting from the person's weight and a history of wood rot and the resident termite population. The lantern clenched in their hand flickered with their movements. The company paused before the closed door of the lower room and knocked heavily, awaiting a reply from the other side from the unexpected guest of the night.

"Enter." A voice answered the next moment.

The person grappled the brass knob but the door stuck fast, swollen with the water trickling throughout the structure and required a shove to unlatch it. Once inside, the visitor yanked the door closed behind them before lifting the lantern to brighten the basement and fellow man which was seated behind a discarded, oak desk. The man was alone this time as his companion was visibly missing from his side.

"Take a seat, Kakuzu." The ginger man remarked, gesturing to the flimsy chair which had been set out before the desk. Kakuzu obeyed silently, wedging his large frame into the sorry chair and seating his lantern to the floor, positioned so he could still see Leader's face. "I have an interesting mission for you."

"Interesting?" Kakuzu repeated. Leader nodded, folding his hands beneath his chin and closing his unnerving ringed orbs.

"The Tsuchikage has reached out to the Akatsuki with an unusual concern."

"Of?"

"Kusagakure." Leader spoke without a moment of hesitation. It sounded more insane aloud.

Kakuzu narrowed his red eyes. "Kusagakure? For what reasons? They have occupied the village, and they have no military to combat them with. What possibly reason would Kusagakure frighten them so?"

"He refused to explain. Instead he merely said to meet an associate of his that is current stationed in Kusagakure and he would explain all of this madness. The only reason I agreed with such a ridiculous request to due to the sizable sum which we will be rewarded with. It would be enough to fund the Akatsuki for the foreseeable future. That is why I chose you for this job, being the only one which I trust with such an investment."

Kakuzu scowled behind his bandanna. It sounded like a waste of time to him, chasing another old man's paranoiac thoughts but if this payout was as large as Leader implied it to be, then perhaps just this once he could chase a few fairytales.

"Very well. I'll do it."

_**AN:**__ This is the second half of the prologue. The main characters shall get more screen time in following chapters such as Kakuzu. Thank you for reading and please leave a review, would like to know if I've gotten people's interest. Also feel free to ask question in the review or in private message. I would love to answer them so long as they're reasonable._


	3. Arc 1: Chapter 2

_**AN:**__ I just wanted to thank the people which have reviewed and alert this story. Makes me feel all nice inside and really encourages me to resume writing this story though don't worry, this story is my number one priority as of now. After this chapter, I have one pre-written chapter after this so once that one is posted, updates will take more time as I will have to write them out before I post them. With all that out of the way, enjoy and review please. _

**EDIT: **_Chapter editing as of (June 8th__) Minor editing for quality purposes. _

**…**

**Wasteland **

**Mayfly Arc:**

**Chapter 2**

The Woodlands was experiencing its worse storm of the decade. Torrential rains drowned the earth and the vicious combination of wind and lightning desecrated the county's captivating forests, reducing the age-old trees to kindle. All and any wise living creature and person had seeked shelter from the sweeping floods and mudslides so not to be washed away. Obviously, it was a brilliant time to be crossing the country for a mission and potential, or unpotential, payday. Sometimes, it could honestly be said Kakuzu would do anything for money. And they would be right.

Money was the only reason he was currently trudging to Kusagakure, ankle deep in sloppy mud and soaked to the bone from the icy rain, heading throbbing from the deafening thunder quaking the ground. It was a wonder that he hadn't been stricken with pneumonia during the three day trek. Or struck by lightning, for that matter. But after this, he would happily spare the money to buy a bottle of warm sake. Perhaps even two. Hell, he might just get wasted.

Due to the thick fog, it was impossible to view into the distance and spy any evidence of the village approaching so for all he knew, it could be five or fifty miles anyway. The scroll he had been issued detailed his informant was stationed in one of the Iwagakure camps surrounding Kusagakure and would meet him a safe distance from the village to avoid any resident eavesdroppers or wondering eyes. With the storm, however, it would be foolish to await someone in the rain and wind and Kakuzu would likely have to divert course to seek out a hotel until the weather relented. Hopefully, his informant was a patient person and would not mind a day or two extra until their meeting. Though, now the struggle would be finding a hotel or motel to retreat to. Even a stable shack.

Lightning scattered throughout the black clouds, briefly highlighted the water-logged land with radiant light and for the split-second it existed, Kakuzu spied a figure huddled under a tree alongside the pathway before the concealing blackness returned. He questioned the sight. Only a fool would be outside in this weather, besides Kakuzu that was. It could be his contact, or anything/anyone else. It could just be a dead body propped against a tree. It was far too dangerous making assumptions and conclusions.

So, whilst shuffling through the slop, Kakuzu kept an eye and safe distance from the hidden subject, whether it be friend or foe, real or imaginary. As he rounded it, there was a small faint glow originating from the spot, concluded to be a lit cigarette, confirming it to be both real and a person. He paused briefly as he now observed the hidden figure, trying to determine any key features such as armor, appearance, or inflation but the darkness prevented that and he was left to assume it could be his contact or not. The person made no attempt at revealing themselves to help his cause either, clearly as cautious. Kakuzu recalled the scroll and among the information listed within for the precautions to pursue once he encountered his contact or his assumed contact. Safer than shouting names. He cleared his parched throat.

"The healthy human mind doesn't wake up in the morning thinking this is its last day. But I think that's a luxury, not a curse." Once he finished reciting the phrase from the scroll, he patiently awaited an answer.

His company did not immediately reply and he questioned if he had spoken correctly or loud enough so not to be muffled by the pounding rain. Worst case scenario, the person was not his informant and assumed him to be insane for spouting randomness at them. The silence persisted and Kakuzu concluded the mysterious figure was not his target and his travels should resume. Foolish to wait in the rain and wind for acknowledgment.

"Outnumbered. Out of our minds. On a suicide mission. But the sands and rocks here stained with thousands of years of warfare... they will remember us." Kakuzu stopped again, recognizing the second half of the secret phrase.

Finally, the unknown company stepped from the shadows and the tanned man recognized the Iwagakure J nin garb which the blonde and four-eyed individual boasted, confirming without a reasonable doubt it to be his contact. He kept his guard however.

The fellow man inhaled deeply from his cigarette before flicking the remaining butt into the mud and extending his glove-clad hand out to Kakuzu. "I take it you are my contact from the Akatsuki, yes?" He questioned, smoke leaking from his mouth and nose and oddly enough from beneath the Iwagakure headband tied around his neck as he spoke before it was swept away into the biting wind. "Katsu Domon, captain of the Explosives Corps and Fourth Iwagakure division. At your service."

Kakuzu did not extend his own hand. "I'm not one for introductions."

The Iwagakure informant, Domon, sniffed and dropped his hand, tucking it away in his pant pocket. "Understandable. Hard to trust anyone these days, yes?" Kakuzu did not reply and the blonde sniffed again. "Very well. We should probably move somewhere warmer and more private to speak, yes? My squadron's campsite is nearby." Kakuzu grunted and Domon sniffed once more before turning and trudging into the forest line with Kakuzu keeping his distance behind.

Thankfully, the man spoke the truth and after approximately twenty minutes of shuffling through mud and over tipped and charred trees, Kakuzu could view battered buildings on the outskirts of the woods and their shattered windows glowing and emitting smoke. He already felt warmer. They broke the tree line and stepped into a graveyard of abandoned buildings and collapsed structures. No one walked the streets but the buildings were alive with chatter and laughter that resounded over the whipping wind. Domon directed them farther into the desolate section of Kusagakure before he finally headed towards an elongated building which appeared to function as a guard tower at one point in the past. Domon knocked on the sealed door and a small window slid open the next moment as someone peeked through at the visitors. Upon seeing the man, the door was hastily yanked opened and the Chunin on the other side bowed respectively as Domon stepped inside.

"Captain Katsu." The young man greeted and Domon tossed in his hand in half-assed wave as he passed. Kakuzu stepped in shortly after and the Chunin sputtered a greeting to the imposing man also before locking the door behind him and scurrying off to rejoin his team. The old, stone tower echoed with the dripping of water entering through cracks of broken bricks and the floor boards reeked of wet dog. The walls flicked with the fading lights of oil lanterns and a single fire roaring in the middle of the floor which four teams of three were camped around, the members varying in ranks and occupation, including a few Genin. Kakuzu pitied their young, pathetic lives.

The Iwagakure shinobi greeted their captain as Domon passed and he scaled the stairs which swiveled to a second floor. Kakuzu followed behind and he stepped onto the next floor, Domon had already lit an oil lantern which hung from the rafters and was busy lighting an old, rusty furnace which sat along the back wall. The blonde stood and removed his gloves, shaking them free of the coal dust and moisture before pulling them back on and gesturing towards a single table with two chairs positioned on either side as he monitored the coals. "Take a seat."

Kakuzu mutely accepted the offer and shrugged off his trench coat, draping it on the back of the wobbly, wooden chair to dry before he sat down and proceeded to ring his brunette locks of excessive water. Once the coals began to glow red, Domon secured the small door on the heater and walked over to the table, only to pause in front of a chest squatting behind the opposite chair. "Care for a drink?"

"Please." Kakuzu replied instantly, swallowing back salvia to relief his dry throat in the meantime.

Domon unlocked the chest and heaved out a fancy bottle of sake and two shot glasses. He popped open the fresh bottle and poured Kakuzu a shot. The missing nin swallowed it down in one gulp, relishing the warmth of the alcohol at the bottom of his stomach. Domon refilled his glass twice before pouring himself a shot also and settling in his chair, leaning back into the flimsy wood.

"Now then we're settled in, I can finally share why it was we dragged you out here during the storm of the century, yes?"

"Please do." Kakuzu replied gruffly.

Domon chuckled and lifted his glass to his lips. Suddenly, in an unusual display, he grasped his throat, in a gesture of self-strangulation which made Kakuzu pause and raise an eyebrow as he watched the man throw his head back as he sipped from his drink. Once the hot liquid had traveled his throat, he relented his hand and audibly cleared his throat, cracking his neck for extra measure. Kakuzu snorted at the odd ball behavior. Like him to be blessed with the whack jobs.

"Well then, I suppose I should start from the beginning. From the very beginning, yes?" Domon remarked, clearing his throat again. Kakuzu grunted and shifted his bandanna aside as he took a swig from his glass. "Well then, my squadron and I have been assigned here for the past year and half now and been observing odd occurrences concerning our new neighbours, Kusagakure."

Kakuzu finished off his third drink before reaching over to the dwindling bottle to pour himself another. "Odd how?"

"Hmm…how does a mysterious hospital, shady doctors and missing children sound?"

Kakuzu finished pouring his drink and passed the bottle on to Domon. "Sounds like a horrible novel."

Domon barked with laugher before he clamped his throat again and finished off his drink, clearing his throat afterwards. "Yes, yes, a bad novel, but true. Alright, from the beginning. It began with the hospital," Kakuzu grumbled in his throat. This man really intended to tell him as though it was a really was a bad novel. "We were ambushed by Konohagakure shinobi and one of my men had to be sent to the Kusagakure hospital to be treated. Whilst inside, he reported odd circumstances."

"Again, odd how?" Kakuzu grumbled.

Domon poured himself another glass of sake and adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "Kusagakure is a village of small population, yes? Not many people compared to other villages such as Konohagakure or Iwagakure but enough to still retain rank of Hidden Village, regardless of the Second World War. Anyway, whilst inside, he reported besides himself, there were no other patients bed ridden despite the hospital being the only in the village."

"So? Perhaps the villagers are healthy and have no need for a hospital."

"Perhaps, but if that was the case, then what need for a hospital? Given Kusagakure's financial situation as of the past half century, the fact they chose to build an elaborate hospital rather than feed its starving population or reinstate its military is suspicious in itself, but I digress."

"Please do."

"Very well. Besides the lack of patients, apparently the hospital had a vast amount of doctors and nurses. Far too many to be working, even if every bed was occupied. And they would all clock in within the same time together, but he hardly saw a third of those which would walk in, yet most clocked out together. So, what are these doctors and nurses doing if they are not working the hospital?"

"I don't know, playing solitaire in the staff room?" Kakuzu answered shortly. "Care to explain if this is leading somewhere? Because at this point, this seems all like overblown coincidence."

"Yes, yes, it is. Just trying for suspense." Domon insisted, sniffling. "Alright, covered the hospital and doctors, now for the children, yes? Well then, the village has an orphanage, quite a large one, sadly. One day, we observed some of the resident quacks escorting a group of children from the orphanage to the hospital. Perhaps they were sick, yes? We paid no mind, except the following month, the same quacks took more children, then the next month and the next. Between three and five children each month, but we never saw any of them returned."

"Maybe they died in the hospital." Kakuzu dismissed as he sipped his glass.

Domon stroked the facial hair nestled under his nose. "Perhaps, except some of men were bed-ridden at the time and they claimed the children appeared as were perfectly healthy and were taken to an unknown section of the hospital and never reemerged."

"So? You've hired me to find some damned brats?" Kakuzu seethed, his short fuse beginning to burn bright from being roped along with the man's dull storytelling. He was not a man of patience or tolerance.

"No need, already did myself. And from I can deduce, those poor children are likely dead. Now I ask you listen for just a bit more. I promise this shall all tie together nicely and you will understand why it was this mission was of the highest priority." After a moment, Kakuzu relented his murderous impulse, giving the man only a few more minutes to conclude his story before he strangled him himself and upturned the place for his payment. Instead, he concentrated on his alcohol, the only reason his sanity remained intact.

Sensing the thick cloud of tension infesting the air, Domon reached into his vest pocket and withdraw a crumpled package of cigarettes. He tapped the box on the table until a single stick slithered out and tucked the cancer stick between his lips.

"I got curious from all these happenings and decided to investigate myself. I trailed the quacks from the hospital and listened in, tried to see if they would allow anything to slip about any goings within that hospital. Several weeks got almost nothing, a few names thrown about and code, nothing that could be used. Then, finally, one of them dropped a bombshell and it all made sense." Kakuzu quietly awaited the 'bombshell' as Domon lit his cigarette and inhaled before releasing the smoke slowly. "The Mayfly." Thunder boomed overhead as the word was spoken, adding to the ominous vide it emitted.

Kakuzu hadn't heard that bloodline since his imprisonment during the Second World War. Now the kekkei genkai was only heard of in history books and told to misbehaving children to frighten them straight. No one dared speak of it, not even in hushed whispers. Its once worshipped existence had become a taboo in itself.

"The Mayfly?" He questioned quietly, the phrase feeling foreign on his tongue. Domon nodded, taking another drag. "How is that possible? The Mayfly was eradicated after the Second World War."

"That is what we would like to know also. You see why it was we enlisted you and the promised payout was so impressive now, yes?" Yes, yes he did. Implying the Mayfly existed was certainly interesting indeed. He was curious himself now. "Now, care to hear the conspiracy theory we have constructed?"

Kakuzu sighed, adjusting him in his seat. "If I must."

Domon tucked his fingers underneath the fabric of his headband and tugged it, a cloud of smoke of billowing from the neckline before he resecured the forehead protector. "Now then, we believe that hospital is just a front, a cover up, and there must be some secret corridor or level. It explains the copious amounts of quacks roaming about and the missing children, yes? They must be using the kids as experiments, or worse, food. If the Mayfly is indeed involved, it would be no surprise. Might also explain the lack of patients, yes? Perhaps those which were ill or crippled were hoarded away for extra fodder." He stamped out his cigarette on the wooden table. "Also, we suspect Kusagakure is being funded from the outside. No possible way they could afford everything themselves, especially since they're still in debt to the Five Nations for their sins during the Second World War. Our theory? Konohagakure. Not only would they have experience with reviving a dead bloodline, the Senju bloodline yet with limited results, they also have motive. A small army of Mayfly wielders could easily cause opposing forces, such as us, to withdraw and it would cement their position of superpower as they would then successfully possess the strongest kekkei genkais to ever exist. Yes?"

"I can see why this would be a conspiracy theory." Kakuzu mumbled after a few moments of proceeding everything the captain had rattled out. He swallowed down his sake to assist with befuddled brain cells but the lingering buzz only scattered them more. "So then, not only do you suspect that Kusagakure is drabbling in the revival of the Mayfly, but also Konohagakure is involved?" It sounded dumber spoken aloud than in his head.

"Yes."

"Well then, if you're so sure on all of this. Why don't you just investigate it yourself? Seems you have evidence on the matter." He must've have been getting drunk because he had just possibly made his entire presence void with that single question. Thankfully, that was not the case.

"Well, primarily for one reason. First being, my men and I are under constant threat from Konohagakure who are just camped across the river. And with Kumogakure now breathing down our necks, I need all my men on hand for the real possibly of farther ambush. Also, a have a week left until I can return to Iwagakure and I plan to survive that week so I can see my wife and the birth of my firstborn. Would you like to see pictures of my wife, Kira?"

"No."

Domon whined at the rejection and removed his hand from his pant pocket where he had already made a grab for his wallet to display pictures of his beautiful wife. "Anyway, safest to include an outside party. On the off chance you are caught or your act is witnessed, it'll be assumed a mercenary group became a bit too greedy for their own good and if we are at all suspected to be connected, then we can just throw you out to the wolves to protect ourselves, yes?"

Kakuzu stared at the blonde flatly. "I better get payment for the bullshit I've been placed through before I leave to chase fairytales."

Domon sniffed. "I suppose I could spot you some of the money under the table, yes? Only if it ensures your devotion to this situation."

"I promise nothing."

"You will have to if you desire the rest of your payment." Domon stood up from the table and returned to the heavy chest behind his chair. He inputted the code for the lock and yanked the chest open again before groping around for its hidden contents. After a moment, he withdrew a thick file of paperwork in one hand and the other clenched three neat stacks of paper money. Immediately, Kakuzu's interest was rekindled. Domon took his seat again and tossed the folder onto the table before dumping the wads of cash on top of it. Kakuzu made a grab for the money first as he weighed each stack in his hand before fingering through the bills, making a quick estimate of the amount.

"This should suffice." He said and shoved the stacks into the pocket of his coat before he picked up the file and opened it. Domon emitted a sigh of relief.

"The file contains copies of everything gathered at this point. Maps, interviews, and my personal notes." He supplied as Kakuzu flipped through the various papers which had been stuffed inside. "It should be enough information for you to conceive a plan on how to get into the hospital."

"And once I am inside, what exactly am I looking for?"

"Any evidence of the existence of Mayfly and any connection to Konohagakure or whichever village is funding them. Files, samples, hell, if you bring an entire person with the bloodline out, that would be perfect." Kakuzu snorted at the last option. He had fought those with the bloodline during the First World War and knew from personal experience it was not that easy. No doubt worse now due to those mutations. "If you are unable to find anything or prove this entire thing was a simple misunderstanding, you will still be paid for your troubles, but only a quarter the amount. Yet, still a pretty penny, yes?" Not particularly, but money was money, so Kakuzu chose not to complain.

"Very well."

"After you get out with any information you acquired, you will return here and shall be given your payment then can go on your way, yes?"

"Preferably." Kakuzu downed his last warm drink and stood, shrugging on his damp coat and tucking the file under his arm, more than prepared to give his farewells and leave. He had about enough of the man with the speech impediment and smoker's rattle as he could stomach for a lifetime.

Noticing this, Domon stood as well, extending his hand in another attempt for a shake with the hired man. "Thank you for accepting this offer despite the trouble that had been caused and the general unbelievableness of the situation." Kakuzu eyed the captain's hovering hand for a solid minute before submitting and grasping it with his own gloved hand, giving it a firm shake only to release it the next second but Domon was satisfied.

"There's an empty building across the way. Used to be a restaurant of some sort but we cleared it out to use as extra shelter in case of an ambush. You can use it for the night. Cheaper than renting a hotel, yes? I'll have my men carry over a cot for you."

"No need." Kakuzu dismissed. "I'll take it as is."

Domon sniffed. "Well alright, if you're sure, yes? Have a comfortable night then and good luck."

Kakuzu did not return the man's blessing as he made haste from the tower with the proper filing in hand. The rain had not let up the slightest during his meeting and he was politely escorted from the building by the same nervous chunin before the door was promptly slammed and locked behind him, leaving him in the pouring rain. Thankfully, if there was one credit he was capable of giving the captain, it was his accuracy with directions as after a few minutes of walking directly forward through the fog, and Kakuzu stumbled upon the hallowed restaurant.

The wrecked structure had no door so he ducked inside to escape the rain but discovered the inside was no better. Holes were punched in the ceiling, permitting water to leak inside in rivers and drench the floorboards which emitted a detestable reek and without a door, it was as cold as the outside. It was free however, far cheaper than a hotel, so again, Kakuzu did not complain as he sought out a dry spot to sit.

During his search, his foot collided with a lantern which had been carelessly left behind and when he picked it up and dusted it off, leftover oil splashed within much to his relief. With the lantern in hand, he managed to discover a dry area in the very corner of the café and removed his trench coat and muddy boots, setting them aside to dry before he sat down. He regretted rejecting the offer of a bed but he would be damned if he went crawling back for one. Though, he should have least stolen the rest of that sake.

After some fiddling, he lit the lamp and positioned it so enough light was illuminated and bounced off the walls for him as he dumped off the contents of the folder. The file hadn't been too particularly thick and shifting through the paperwork proved how hearsay the whole situation was. Only Domon's notes recounted the mention of Mayfly but then it had only been one occasion with no other evidence listed to verify it yet been enough to spook that old croak Tsuchikage enough to scramble up assistance from a up and coming mercenary group to investigate. If the Mayfly did exist, it proved how fearful Iwagakure was of it and the distinct advantage Konohagakure or any village would have over them and possibly others. This could shift the war in ways never seen before.

…

_**AN:**__ The Woodlands are just the region Kusagakure is located in since an official name was never given. Next chapter, the Mayfly will be demonstrated. Thank you for reading. _


	4. Arc 1: Chapter 3

**AN:**_ Thank you again for reading and liking this story. It's a bit slow now, but it'll speed up soon. I promise. Anyway, read and enjoy. _

…

**Wasteland **

**Mayfly Arc:**

**Chapter 3**

_Attention: Please evacuate the area for the loading and unloading of [K-MF-001]. Only authorized staff is permitted in the area. All other staff is advised to leave the floor or retreat to a protected zone to avoid major injury or death. This is not a drill, repeat, this is not a drill. _

Read feminine recording monotonously, the voice echoing throughout every floor and corridor of the laboratories for every person present to hear and heed to. Those unassigned to the unloading but were working the bottom floor quickly retreated to the higher floor for safety. Those on the top floor resumed their duties, disregarding the warning.

"Alpha, are we clear for unloading? Over." Ryouta spoke into the two-way radio in his hand as he paced the observation chamber, watching the small, boxy monitor which displayed the black-and-white view of the cameras installed in the lower floor which harboured K-MF-001.

The radio crackled for several seconds before a voice responded from the other side. "Yes sir. Alpha is prepping the chamber for unloading. Over." The monitored flickered and a team of five animal masked men clad in black cloaks were seen marching through the chamber towards the vault which 001 was contained within, one of them wheeling a dolly which was laced with steel chaining.

"Roger. Do not do any unnecessary harm to K-MF-001 during unloading or loading. We need him in perfect condition for the field test tomorrow. Over."

"Roger that." Ryouta secured the walky-talky in his white coat and sat down at the table alongside Tarou who was also present to observe the testing as he always did, though not remotely as flustered as his companion as he sat perfectly relaxed with his legs propped on the table.

"You need to relax, Ryouta. It is just another routine test. 001 has done a dozen of these without incident." The obese man reassured the twitchy scientist as he watched the monitor, following the team as they navigated the long, steel hallway. "The worse which might happen to 001 becomes peckish and decides to make a snack out of one of those fellows handling him. If that happens, the council will just supply us another poor bastard to replace him."

"It's not 001 I am concerned about. He's worth more than any living person on this green earth and I don't want one of those bastards breaking him." Ryouta replied, gnawing on his thumb nail as the team finally made it to the vault door and took their positions with weapons prepared as the humorous locks on the vault door were slowly undone.

"Relax, Ryouta. Oh, I know exactly what you need," Tarou heaved himself from his chair and waddled over to a cabinet that the monitor sat upon monitor. He yanked it open, revealing it to be empty of files as he withdrew instead a bottle of expensive liquor instead. He plucked two cups from the water cooler before returning to the table and laying out a cup for each of them. "I was saving this for tomorrow as celebration but I feel you could use it now." He poured them both a cup of the rich liquid, handing Ryouta his own cup and the man sipped at it, the hard alcohol strickening his mouth and throat with a refreshing burn but failing to calm him as kept an eye on the monitor.

The vault door was finally unlocked and automatically sluggishly swung outward. Once there was a considerable amount of space, the cloaked figures tossed in grenades and the screen went white for seconds straight as the flash bangs mutely exploded. When the picture returned, only two of the men remained, arms cocked to toss in more flash bangs as the rest were inside the vault, securing K-MF-001 for transportation. After a few minutes, the rest of the group finally emerged, unscathed and wheeling out the unstable experiment which had been restrained to the dolly with the unpenetrateable metal chaining and blinded with a leather mask which doubled as a muzzle. The sight of the bound man struggling made Ryouta release the breath he had been holding in and he downed his drink before requesting a refill.

K-MF-001 was transported to the testing chamber, a brightly lit and large, reinforced steel rink which the observation chamber oversaw safely from several feet off the ground. Blood stained the metal flooring and walls from past testing and a few wooden dummies had been laid out at random points around the chamber. Normally, live targets were used in testing but due to being unable to capture Iwagakure hostages for bait, the dummies had been fitted with stolen Iwagakure headbands and vests instead for illusion.

Alpha team wheeled the thrashing experiment into the stadium and once inside, proceeded with the precarious task of unraveling the man without incident. They hadn't had an incident in the last five sessions and intended of keeping that streak going. One member was positioned in the loading hallway, at the ready with the door, whilst two others loosened the chains around K-MF-001 and the remaining two were posed to retain the subject if he broke from his restraints prematurely or made a grab for one of the men.

Ryouta stood at the control panel which regulated several functions of the testing rink with his finger posed above the speaker button, ready to yell at the lot if they did anything he deemed too rough or unnecessary during his prized experiment's release. Thankfully, no excessive harm was done to the subject and once the chains were sufficiently loosened and freed of the dolly, the supplied shinobi removed the muzzle and made haste back into the safety of the hallway, the door was sealed tight behind as K-MF-001 tossed off the chains with an enraged roar. He kicked the steel bindings across the gym, they striking the metal walling with a cringing, resounding crash. He glanced around the rink, snarling at the dummies before his attention was diverted by the sound of the megaphone being switched on with a whine.

"001," Ryouta spoke into the microphone, K-MF-001 briefly acknowledging his creator at the mention of his subject number. "This is your last test before your field test tomorrow. Mind giving us a show?" His only reply was the excessive drooling seeping from the experiment's snarling jowls.

Ryouta observed from behind the safety glass of the chamber whilst Tarou watched the monitor, both sipping their drinks. K-MF-001 paced about liked a caged tiger for several seconds, circling the wooden dummies and instantly Ryouta became uneasy again. Normally, the man did not hesitate upon attacking the bait, tearing it to unidentifiably shreds within a span of seconds. Instead, the ebony-haired male resumed his leisurely stalk of the targets, almost disregarding them as he emitted a bored yawn and scratched the lettering inked into his face. His Mayfly hadn't even been activated yet.

Ryouta looked back at Tarou nervously, grasping his foam cup tightly. "This is not being recorded for the council's viewing, is it?"

"Of course not." Tarou dismissed, itching his second chin. "We have already been approved to proceed with the field test. The council requires no more evidence. Maybe 001 isn't interested because this is the first test without live targets?" Perhaps.

Ryouta returned his viewing to his experiment which had no longer taken interest in the dummies and was fiddling with the stained white jumpsuit he was dressed in. The scientist activated the microphone again. "001 were you not clear on your instructions?" He shouted though this time he was not spared a reaction as K-MF-001 seemed more interested in the devouring of his clothing as he chewed on the zipper. "001!"

"No need to yell at the dumb animal, Ryouta. Here, allow me to try something." Ryouta freely allowed his boss to take over as Tarou strolled to the control panel, distracting himself with his generous drink.

"Alpha," Tarou spoke into his own two-way. "K-MF-001 seems to refuse to cooperate. Would mind escorting him back to his chambers? Over."

"Roger."

"Tarou-sama," Ryouta gasped, leaping to Tarou's side. "This is 001's last test. I would recommend that we-" But his pleas were hushed as Tarou held up a thick hand, interrupting him as the door to the testing chamber was reopened. K-MF-001's attention was immediately stolen from his plastic snack as he turned towards the soldiers, snarling lowly and naked flesh between his shoulder blades began to bulge and swell at the approaching threat as the full fleet marched in, prepared to restrain him once more. Suddenly, a heavy hammering echoed throughout the chamber. The five men froze in their tracks and ever so slowly, turned their sights around. Their only exit had been locked shut behind them.

Ryouta's startled gaze settled on Tarou, the man's fat finger pressed down on the button which controlled the main unloading door and that could only be opened from the other side. He had locked them in with K-MF-001 without a second's hesitation.

"Tarou-sama…" The scientist whispered, realizing what his employer had just done. He had just potentially abolished a decade's worth of work and broken the council's trust in a single swoop.

An inhumane screech caused him to return his attention back to the testing chamber and he saw K-MF-001, fists clenched and crooked canines bared, his Mayfly having finally been activated and a grand Rafflesia flower bloomed from the flesh his back, its thick petals uncurling like velvety tendrils. Ryouta was unsure whom he was more concerned about at the moment.

As K-MF-001 took a step towards the trapped shinobi, the hardened assassins steeled themselves for the fight of their lives. After another imposing step, one of the men threw a flash bang to distort him as the others charged in and the rink filled with blinding light an instant later which made Ryouta wince and shield his watering green orbs. His ears rung from trauma but through it, he could hear the muffled shrieking of K-MF-001 as well as crashing and the popping of more flash bangs. K-MF-001's death seemed sealed, until a human scream rang out, followed shortly by another, and another, and it was obvious the abomination had garnered the upper hand on his opponents. Ryouta rubbed his eyes and blinked them rapidly, attempting to regain his sight and witness the chaos which was ensuing below when something smashed into the safety glass before them, making him flinch and gag. It was a severed arm. The limb glided down the glass, smearing it with thick, dark blood before it tumbled to the floor.

Finally having restored a portion of sight, Ryouta turned to peer past the blood stained glass but it proved fruitless as the chamber was fogged with a pink mist, a byproduct of K-MF-001's Mayfly. The screaming died down, dissolving into wet gurgling as the airborne poison took its effect and after several tense seconds, the mist thinned. The chamber was in shambles. Blood and organic substance painted the walls and enough force had been driven into them to actually dent the foot-thick steel. Bodies littered the floor, only one being considered in a single piece as the other's had had limbs torn off and one even decapitated.

K-MF-001 stood in the midst of the carnage, unharmed except for bleeding lacerations where kunai and senbon had been embedded in various spots on his body and bruises, his jumpsuit a deep red from the blood soaked into the fabric. The Rafflesia sprouted from his back twitched, the red and purple speckled flower emptying the last of its potent essence before it crumpled and wilted away, melting away back into the experiment's pale skin. He proceeded to carelessly pluck out the weapons embedded in his body, unflinching as some of the wounds were torn open farther and split more blood, when something caught his eye.

One of the serviceman had survived the carnage, though hardly, and was weakly dragging himself away from the berserk man, leaving a wet trail of blood from the stump where his leg had once been. K-MF-001 ignored the remainder of the blades jutting from his skin stalked the owl-masked man like a cat playing with its prey, following him about the chamber. Cornered, the dying man halted against a wall and in one last feeble attempt, tossed a handful of senbon at the monster. The experiment made no attempt to dodge the needles as they lodged themselves into his scarred face, one narrowly missing one of his red orbs and he screeched, more so in vocalized anger rather than pain. He thrashed his head about, freeing a few of the sharp needles before screaming again and lunging onto the shinobi. The injured solider echoed the scream with his own of a higher pitch as the subject's wide jowls clamped onto his skull, crushing the bone like glass. The man kicked and screamed as his neck proceeded to be angled at an impossible shape and shattered with a dull series of popping to which he became deathly limp, his yelling silenced forever. K-MF-001 jerked the dead victim's head about until the tender flesh of the neck ruptured and he yanked the entire head free from the corpse, a good portion of the spine slithering out along with. He tossed the unwanted skull aside before hungrily devouring the freshly warm carcass. The head bounced a few feet before rolling to a stop and the bird-like mask falling off, revealing the man's face, frozen eternally with a pure petrification.

"Well then, I would say that was without a doubt K-MF-001's most successful test. The Mayfly is a fearful thing, isn't it? Imagine the field test when he'll have the ability to phase about." Tarou chirped, unbothered by the massacre as he walked back to the table, refilling his cup with more alcohol as celebration. Ryouta swallowed thickly, averting his eyes from his experiment happily enjoying his meal below and sighed. He felt a slight guilt for the poor men which had just been fed to the abomination, but his pride as a scientist and of K-MF-001 brought an unspoken was relief it was them which lay dead and not his years of hard work. Yet, he felt the slightest bit sick, the first time in several tests and the deaths of many human targets, including children. He dismissed it as anxiety and not his long dead conscious creeping back.

"I'll write a letter to council apologizing for the misfortune which those fellows met." Tarou explained simply as Ryouta rejoined him, pouring himself another drink also to soothe his queasy stomach. "After tomorrow, I'm sure they will forgive a few deaths. K-MF-001 is worth an army of them. What were they again? Stem? Branch? Something silly as that."

"How are we going to escort K-MF-001 back to his vault though, Tarou-sama?" Ryouta asked quietly after a moment of silence, eyeing the monitor as K-MF-001 grew bored of his current meal and lumbered over to another body to chew upon. In the background, Ryouta could hear the wet ripping of flesh as the experiment ate. He poured himself another shot.

"Oh pity, did not think of that." Tarou said, though his tone did not betray any of his apparent 'pity'. "Hmm…well, I'll just gather together some of our staff to do it. After tomorrow, we'll have no need for them when the project is handed over to the council." Ryouta merely nodded, not daring to question which staff Tarou considered expendable enough for the task. Hopefully, it wasn't him since after tomorrow, his position would be in jeopardy as well. Luckily, he would be transferred. "Are you aware if Kiyoshi has returned from his break?"

The question interrupted the ebony-haired man's thoughts. "Kiyoshi? Uhh…not that I know of. He should return tomorrow. If not then the day after."

Tarou clicked his tongue. "Pity. I'll have to find someone else to move 001 then." He sipped his drink, perfectly calmly so. "You're free to leave Ryouta, no need for you at the moment. Might I suggest rehearsing a speech for the council? I'm positive they'll want to congratulate you personally for your assistance in purging Kusagakure of those Iwagakure rats."

Ryouta only nodded. He swallowed down the rest of his drink, supplying his boss a brief thank you before gladly leaving the observation room and his deranged employer behind. He prayed for whoever Tarou decided to lock in the same room as K-MF-001.

…

**AN:**_ This is my last pre-written chapter so after this, I'm going to have write them out now so they will take a tad longer to be posted but they'll still be posted, I promise. Thank you for reading and please, review, I'd love to hear what people think of this story so far even if it is weird and a bit slow for now. _


	5. Arc 1: Chapter 4

**AN: **_I can't believe how much support this story has received. This was just a project for myself regardless if people liked it but now that I see people do, it inspires me not only to write for myself, but my viewers as well. So thank you again to everyone and enjoy._

…

**Wasteland**

**Act 1:**

**Chapter 4**

The morning following the meeting, the peaceful atmosphere of the sleepy complex was shattered by the wailing of the emergency sirens. They were currently under attack. The troops of the encampment were yanked from their slumbers and scrambled to assemble their defensives. A moment later, the Explosive Corps barged into their captain's quarters to retrieve him.

"Captain Katsu!" The highest ranking soldier of the platoon yelled as they entered but his screams fell on deaf ears as Domon had been roused by the alarms and was already suiting up as he shrugged on his vest.

"What's the situation? Is it Konohagakure? Do we have a visual? Injuries?" The blonde questioned without a breath as he secured his red forehead protector around his neck and replaced his glasses with a pair of perspiration googles.

"W-We're unsure, sir. The alarms were sounded but no fighting has been viewed or heard of." The second-in-command shuttered. "It might be a false alarm. Shirou might have fallen asleep on the button again." The man emitted an awkward laughter at the light joke but it was not responded to by his captain's own laughter and he quickly fell silent.

Domon's reply was merely a scowl. "Then let's find out, yes?" He groped for his satchel and draped it across his chest before escorting his squad from the guard tower.

Outside, the siren resumed its blaring, preventing any ability of hearing the supposed attack, whether it be shouting or the clashing of metal, but visually, all was calm and serene as the previous night's violent storm has relaxed into a casual rainfall. No explosions, people fleeing or dust flying. Just the same sight as with the guard tower, confusion, as around the camp, other teams had stepped outside, dressed and armed to the teeth though unable to predict where the battle currently was or there even was one. As Domon stepped outside, the remaining befuzzled teams migrated to join him and the Explosive Corps, awaiting their directions or explanation. One of these being Kakuzu, who had been awoken by the alarm the same as everyone else.

"The hell is happening?" The miser demanded, irritated his two hour rest after his all-nighter had been rudely interrupted.

"We haven't a clue." Domon replied simply, adding a shrug for extra measure to portray his own cluelessness on the situation. "Someone from the second guard tower sounded the siren which would mean we were under attack, yes? But nothing is to be seen. Usually, if it was Konohagakure, at least a few of their shinobi would have broken our defenses and would raiding the encampment."

"Maybe it's Kumogakure?" A random solider guessed aloud. Discussion erupted on the matter but was disturbed when a Genin was seen running toward them.

"Captain Katsu!" The boy gasped, skidding to a halt in the mud before the man and catching his breath. "Reporting."

"What's happening, Natsu? Do we have a visual?" Domon asked once the crier regained his lost breath.

"N-No we do not, sir. The a-alarm was sounded and Team 2 and 7 left to initiate the enemy but there was none! So they're securing Guard Tower 2 in case the enemy attacked them and I was told to report to you, sir!" The young shinobi rambled out to his superior. Domon scowled and clicked his tongue. By all the evidence, the whole fiasco had been indeed a false alarm. An absolutely waste of time and unneeded panic.

"Natsu, return to Guard Tower 2 and inform Shirou, or whoever signaled the alarm to report to me. Immediately."

"Yes sir!" Natsu saluted the man before turning and running back to rejoin his platoon assigned farther within the camp. Once the Genin was gone, Domon addressed the remaining flustered shinobi who were arguing aloud with each other if there was an enemy or not.

"Alright everyone, return to your posts. It was a false alarm, there is nothing t-" Suddenly, the very second those word's escaped the blonde's furry lips, the second guard tower on the opposite side of the camp erupted into a massive fireball.

Everyone were tossed to the ground from the deliberating shockwave which was amplified from the explosion, enough force being exerted that windows were shattered and bits of rumble were shaken free from the crumbling structures. Once the shockwave had passed them by and everyone had regained their footing, they had to quickly avoid the flaming debris which showered them including hefty chucks of rock like a meteor shower.

"Fuck me…" Domon seethed as he gazed towards the black smoke which billowed from the location the tower had once been, now just a smoldering shell of brick and glass. Such a thing had never happened before and something told him this invasion would be vastly different from the rest. The reek in the air which followed the explosion, confirmed his suspicions and his worse fears. Unlatching the binding on his satchel, he next yanked off one of gloves and dove his hand into the bag, scooping up the earthy contents within. Upon seeing this, Kakuzu suddenly remembered where he had heard the name of Katsu before.

Withdrawing his hand, he opened his moist palm to reveal five clay dog-like figures, the tongue extending from his hand finishing off a few minute designs. He tossed them to the ground and activated them with a single handsign, causing the creations to burst into a cloud of white smoke. A few seconds later, the smoke cleared to reveal the clay figures had expanded several times their original size and gained sentience as the featureless, pure white dogs shook their heads and stretched before gathering around their master for orders. All the present shinobi, minus Kakuzu, did so too.

"All right, obviously, I was wrong, and we are under attack, yes?" A few laughs were uttered at the captain's joking but were soon hushed as Domon resumed. "And obviously, these are not our normal Konohagakure foes. They've never launched such an assault such as this and I realize why that is. Everyone smells that, yes?" Instantly, the soldiers begin to intently sniff the smoggy air. Besides the smoke, it smelt of one other thing. Gas. Their reactions resulted closely the same. Horror. "Uchiha." Domon concluded, resisting the own anxiety which sprung up within him at the name. He had never encountered an Uchiha as an enemy, only heard the horror stories about the wielders of the master bloodline. That all changed today. He withdrew a cigarette and tucked it between his lips. After lighting it and taking a drag to soothe himself, he returned his attention to his spooked fleet.

"We're going to divide into four groups." He announced, his soft-spoken hardening to role of leader. "Team 1 and 10, you are taking the right, towards Guard Tower 2, see if you can find any survivors and back those Uchiha bastards off. Team 4, you are taking the left. Both you and Team 1 and 10 will be focused on pressing them back into a single space. Team 9 and 8, you will round the back, whilst the Explosive Corps and I charge them from the front. If we manage to box them in, then we can easily pick them off, yes?" A round of nodding answered his question. "Perfect, now go! And whatever you do, do not look into their eyes."

"Yes, sir!" And with that, the Iwagakure shinobi separated into their assigned teams and retreated to their appointed positions. Once they had departed, diverted his attention to Kakuzu who had been quietly viewing the entire speech. "This doesn't concern you. Its best you pack up and leave whilst you can. Need you alive to investigate that hospital, yes?"

Despite his loathing for being ordered about, Kakuzu begrudgingly agreed. "I'll agree to leave, if you agree not to go blow yourself up. I need you alive for my paycheck."

Domon laughed, taking the jab towards his kekkei genkai on the chin. "Yes, yes. Good luck."

Kakuzu only grunted, before retreating back inside the restaurant to retrieve his belongings and leave whilst the Iwagakure and Konohagakure torn each other apart. It was their war, not his. He was only here to collect a paycheck. Nothing more.

"Alright, Explosive Corps, march!"

"Yes, sir!"

With that, Domon led his platoon towards the smoldering wreckage on the farther side of the camp. The black smoke drifting from the crumbled tower obscured their vison of both friend or foe and Domon ordered the pack of Claymation hounds into the fog, the dogs barreling into the darkness to seek out the Konohagakure foe sneaking about under the safety of the smoke and drag them into the light. Meanwhile, the members of the Explosive Corps withdrew flashbangs and their own smoke bombs, waiting on their captain's orders to act. Domon glanced around and caught a glimpse of movement on either side of them, identifying the sandy brown colour of their vests as his men as they rounded the rotting buildings to flank from their respective side. Domon felt the anxiety return.

There had been no confrontation yet, not with his men nor his hounds and there wasn't a hint of foreign life. Either these enemies, Uchiha or not, were highly advanced in stealth, or there was nothing and the tower explosion had been a fatal error on one of his men. He wasn't sure which he feared more.

As the steady downfall extinguished the flames, the smoke thinned and Domon squinted his eyes to peer through. His blood ran ice cold. There was no army, not even a single squad. Just a figure. A sole large, muscled individual in the fog just standing there, unmoving, and undisturbed as Domon's artificial dogs shuffled around them. The creatures were blind, so instead they focused on detecting chakra signatures to guide them. But there were none, so the hounds wondered, aimlessly around the person. The person were perfectly cloaked. Then two blood red orbs pierced the grey and Domon realized how much he hated being right.

"Fire!"

The air swelled with the whistling of bombs of variety being thrown into the smoke and exploding into an array of white smoke and blinding light. The same moment, the teams which had been flanking the area of interest lep into the fray, flooding the sky with waves of kunai and shuriken which arced downward and riddled whoever the figure was with the sharp objects. Once their arterially was launched, the soldiers took their distance and Domon detonated his kekkai genkai.

"Katsu!" The dogs' clay flesh swelled and they ballooned twice their original size until they raptured into a combustion of white light and fire.

…

Kakuzu was dressing in his coat when the second explosion occurred. He swore aloud as the ensuring shockwaves rolled over the café, tossing him around and causing the brick structure to tremble threateningly, coming within inches of toppling over atop of the masked man but by luck, remained intact with only an entire wall tumbling inward, scattering the wood-rotten floor with dust and brick. Kakuzu brushed himself off and from the now expanded window, he saw a mushroom cloud bloom into the grey sky before being blown away by the wind.

"Bastard," He snarled, shoving the folder into his coat. "I told him not to blow himself up."

Without a moment more, he stomped outside, eager to leave the battlefield before he was involved when something peculiar caught his eye. A few meters away, the ground was swollen like an object of such had been smuggled under the crumbling paving. And it was moving. Kakuzu watched, intrigued as the area shifted and bobbed until finally, a shapeless, pale figure began to materialize from the ground, upwards until it stood the same approximate height as a human. Once freed, the blank features chiseled into muscles which extended into limbs and black locks which sprouted from a head and Kakuzu realized a man had just emerged from the ground. Then, he realized why the man had.

'_God damnit…that bastard was onto something.' _Was his only thought which came accompanied by a few unwanted war flashbacks.

The nearly formed man twisted his neck about, the bones emitting a soft cracking before he tossed his head about, ruffling his black locks into a messier appearance. Kakuzu stood, still, unsure of the events which would follow. Should he flee? Kill the man? Remain still and wait if he is noticed? He realized he couldn't do the first two however, because the man had already made the choice for him as he craned his head around, his crimson eyes making contact with Kakuzu's miscoloured ones, their wide, crazed stare highlighted by the black ink around his eyes. They were the eyes of man that had long ago vacated the depths of his sanity. His unnaturally hunched form straightened and cracked lips curled back into a lop-sided grin, uncovering his rows of sizable canines. Kakuzu narrowed his eyes, and flexed his shoulder blades, the porcelain animal masks stitched to his back shifting as threads crept from beneath them and carefully detached them from the skin. Seems this war had found its way to him.

Abruptly, the man's head snapped forward, eyes focusing on the remaining smoke which polluted the air and muffled voices ahead. Kakuzu awaited his attention to return to him, muscles bulging with extra threading as he prepared for a fight, but it did not as the man cracked his neck again and the bare flesh of his back began to bubble like a pot of hot water. The skin tore cleanly and a thick, red bulb peeked from between his shoulder blades, inching out until splitting open into five wide petals which rolled out like wagging tongues that extended half the length of the man's own body. Suddenly, Kakuzu was stricken with a foul stench which made his stomach heave and mouth water in anticipation of tossing last night's booze and he clenched his hand over his nose, clamping the dark fabric of his bandana safely over his nose from farther assault. It reminded him of a rotted corpse which had been left in direct sunlight for months and been used as a dumping site for local wilderness.

Regardless of his watering eyes, Kakuzu retained his attention on the trespasser, however, the other man had appeared to have lost all interest in Kakuzu as his concentration remained on the smoke and dust in the distance. With one last regarding glance, the man-plant hybrid began stalking away towards the commotion, each step taken sinking farther and farther into the ground until his body melted back into the sodden dust and he disappeared from sight and existence. Kakuzu swore at himself again. He had just allowed his paycheck to vanish, and worse enough, it was heading directly for his benefactor of said paycheck.

…

After several seconds, the dust finally settled from the detonation. The Iwagakure shinobi removed their goggles and brushed their hair free of debris, gazing in silent amazement at the hefty crater which remained from their captain's kekkai genkai. Domon, however, sniffed at the lack of gore or severed limbs in the pit. Not even a speck of blood. The person has escaped his jutsu. How? He haven't a clue but he did not place anything past the Uchiha. His only relief, it appeared there was only one attacker, but the relief with minimal. If they were not wary, one man would be all it took to eliminate them all.

He gestured towards the bedazzled soldiers. "Search for survivors." The men hastily reclaimed themselves and obeyed as they spread out to check the remnants of the second guard tower and surrounding buildings also, mindful of their unwelcomed guest which walked amongst them. Afterwards, Domon addressed his own fleet. "Guard the perimeter. I want every inch of it booby-trapped. Anyone in here with us, won't be leaving alive."

The members of the Explosive Corps nodded before each of them separated into four different directions to trap their settlement swiftly. Meanwhile, Domon found himself rather calm, despite their situation and credited his optimist attitude, or perhaps the ashy cigarette in his mouth. His wife and her father, which just so happened to be the current Tsuchikage, sassed him frequently for his smoking habit, especially with a child soon to arrive, and told him to stop smoking. Even was ordered to. But these were times of war, and the cigarettes in his pocket were his only comfort until he was safety home again. Today, he would smoke like a furnace, he concluded, as he flicked the spent cancer stick to the dirt before replacing it with another and lighting it, filling his dusty lungs with the placebo for euphoria and shifting his headband aside to release the spent fumes.

"Captain Katsu! We found a survivor!" One of the Jounin screamed as his two teammates proceeded to heave a battered body from the wreckage of the tower.

They dumped the person safely feet away before stumbling away, coughing and gagging. As Domon approached, he realized why they had suddenly been so overcome with asthma-este attacks as the reek of death and roasted flesh flooded his nostrils. He clamped his hand over his nose and took another drag to filter out the stench simmering in his throat. The obvious lone survivor had been singed initial explosion of the tower as his clothing and armor hung from his body in shreds though displayed no farther injuries as the blood staining his flesh was unoccupied by gaping wounds or cuts of equitable size. However, that didn't mean he was alive, as when the captain hovered over the convulsing man. He could see the whites of his eyes which were stained a distasteful yellow and mixture of saliva and vomit leaked from his nose and mouth. The obvious signs of severe poisoning. The medics arrived to care for the suffering man but Domon halted their assistance. The man was past the realm of help. All they could do now was gather as much information from him before he perished.

"Shirou," Domon spoke firmly, recognizing the former guard tower. "Shirou, you can speak, yes? What happened?"

Upon the mention of his name, Shirou's eyes rolled from within his head as his glazed orbs stared at the blonde. His tongue poked out between his lips, swiping the pink flesh over his caked lips but they parted to speak. "…A-Ambushed…dead all…" He whispered, weakly, and Domon hunched closer.

"Ambushed by who, Shirou? Who did this? Was it Uchiha?"

"O-O-One…" He gasped, coughing a mouthful of clear bile and chucks of the prior night's digested meal, his convulsing growing more terrible. "On-One…"

"One what, Shirou? One person? Did one person do this?" Domon pressed harder as he witnessed the life beginning to slow dim in the Chunnin's eyes.

"O-O-One…" Shirou merely repeated, inhaling deeply as though to yawn, and the liquid drowning his lungs could be heard. His eyes rolled back again as he exhaled shakily, and Domon began to stand upright again, presuming the man dead when Shirou suddenly jolted up and grasped his vest halting his ascent, yellowed grey orbs wide and quivering as they stared into the reflective surface of his leader's goggles. "D-D-Don't…breath the m-mist…d-don't…burn!"

And with that, the man shuttered violently, vomit spraying from his dry lips before he collapsed against the muddy roading, eyes dulling and jaw going slack, finally accepted by death's cold embrace. Domon sighed, brushing off the digestive matter from his clothing before standing. The medics clad the guard's body with a clean, white sheet before it was carried away to be later buried alongside their fallen brethren. His funeral would be delayed however, until his murderer was brought to justice.

Shortly after, the rest of Shirou's squad were recovered, all dead as he said. The heavy charring to their bodies and yellowed orbs made it difficult to predict how they had perished, whether it had been by the poisoning or being burned alive. Or both. They were laid alongside their teammate. The bodies were beginning pile, and they had yet to find the culprit. Worst case scenario, they had escaped which spelt disaster for them, especially if they had uncovered a chink in their armor. Best case scenario, they were still within the camp, though that was a hardly as until they were captured or killed, the remaining lot of them were in danger.

"Captain!"

Domon glanced in the direction of the call and blinked in surprise as their Akatsuki contact approached from behind, for an unknown reason to the blonde the hulking brunette having chosen to stay rather than leave as instructed.

"Akatsuki." Domon responded, lacking a name which to address the man by. "I thought you left, yes?"

"No." Kakuzu grunted. "I couldn't because this is the direction my paycheck went."

"Paycheck?"

A scream distracted Domon from his interrogation however, as he caught wind of one of his teammates fearfully shouting 'intruder!' before the camp was rocked again by another explosion. This time originating from the border of the encampment. One of the booby traps only set together seconds prior already having been set off. Several startled screams rung out and soldiers fled as in the midst of the raining dirt and knife-sized splinters, hefty portions of trees were catapulted towards them, crashing into the ground with enough force to crush a person into a bloodstain of blood and bone.

The section of tree line which had been blown apart by the explosion had been ignited and flames danced across the tree tops, rapidly spreading as it devoured leaves and branches. The downfall was too weak to smother the fire and due to the encampment being embraced by the overgrown thicket, the blaze threatened to lep onto rooftops and kindle the buildings into a massive unstoppable bonfire.

"Get water! Put out the flames!" Domon yelled. People scattered about to retrieve water to drown the swelling fire. Domon broke into a run towards the bomb site to discover if the teammate or teammates at the area had survived the incident when a hand clamped onto his shoulder and wrenched him backwards. He craned his neck around to see his contact had been the culprit. "The hell? Release me. This does not include you!"

Kakuzu did not reply, his eyes not even upon the blonde as he stared forward, blankly. Domon struggled against the man's ironclad grasp and when it proved fruitless, he glanced about to one of his men to assist him when he noticed something bizarre. Time apparently had frozen around him as his men stood around, perfectly still as statues and silent. The panic and urgency which gripped them a second ago having vanished as they all remained motionless, their eyes focused united towards the glow of the fire, the same as Kakuzu. Domon finally stared before him, curious what had caused everyone to pause in such a way, and instantly, he felt his blood freeze in his veins. He bit down onto his cigarette, warm ashes coating his tongue.

"Is that…the Mayfly?" Domon asked, voice barely scrapping past a whisper as he gazed upon the half-clad, pale man before them, lumbering figure illuminated in the grey by the blaze behind him. But Domon wasn't looking entirely at him. He was looking at the enormous flower which piggybacked him, its petals reflecting the reds and oranges of the flames and extending around him like groping tentacles.

"Yes." Kakuzu replied.

The Mayfly man smiled, his bleeding orbs and inhuman canines shining ominously with the flicker of the firestorm around him. The ink circling his eyes and crossing through his left reading '001'.

Domon realized he no longer hated when he was right. He loathed it.

…

**AN: **_I just want to apologize. This chapter took longer than I would have liked. That was for two reasons. One, it is the largest chapter to date. And two, I had issues with my computer. So instead of writing, I was struggling to get it fixed and when it was fixed, I had to do homework. So sorry again. Hopefully this chapter made it worth the wait for you all. _

_The next chapter will be filler explaining the Mayfly. _

_Thank you for reading and reviews perhaps? Love to hear your thoughts, so long they are not flaming. _


	6. Arc 1: Chapter 5

**AN: **_This chapter is mostly an exposition dump so if you don't care about some background to the Mayfly then you can freely skip. To those that will read, enjoy._

…

**Wasteland**

**Act 1:**

**Chapter 5**

_One month earlier…_

"Tsuchikage-sama, Domon Katsu of the Explosive Corps. has arrived."

"You have no need to flatter the boy with such an honourable title, Jirou. You can merely introduce him as my disliked son-in-law." Ōnoki replied, scribbling his signature on a package of paperwork before nudging it aside and continuing to the next.

"Very well, Tsuchikage," The male assistant spoke, clearing his throat before correcting himself. "Your disliked son-in-law is here, sir."

"Thank you, Jirou."

The assistant nodded before stepping aside, permitting entry to the Kage's cluttered office as Domon Katsu stepped inside before the door was firmly closed behind him. Ōnoki sparred the blonde man a glance as he awkwardly stood before his desk, the office too clustered to fit any source of seating, and sighed as he returned his focus to the pages upon pages of paperwork he was currently plagued with.

"Couldn't meet me in person, boy?" He questioned, having identified the cleverly disguised clay clone the moment the captain entered his domain.

The clay clone Domon threw his padded shoulders into a shrug. "Too dangerous to leave camp, old man. Not with Konohagakure breathing down our necks. Best I remain with my men rather than take the travel to Iwagakure to drop off some paperwork, yes?" Ōnoki grunted, obviously disapproving of the decision. The again, there was little to nothing he supported Domon on. Especially his marriage to his daughter and general existence.

"Have there been updates, in the least?"

"Depends what you consider an update, yes?" Domon withdrew the file he had smuggled beneath his arm and dumped the swollen folder upon the elder Kage's desk, Ōnoki grumbling as his neatly stacked paperwork was thrown about from the force.

He placed down his quill and opened the faded file, thumbing through the poorly handwritten reports. "Has there been any mention of possible alliances Kusagakure might have?"

"No."

"Names which we can trace?"

"No."

"Evidence which confirms our suspicions?"

"No."

Ōnoki tossed the folder as the cloned and the blonde flinched as he was harmlessly showered in the flying paperwork. "Then what update do you have then, boy!?"

"Well maybe if you read, you'd learn, yes?" Domon whimpered, his victim card failing to influence his father-in-law's abusive behavior. "It's just all hearsay, sir. Nothing we can use yet."

"Then leave my office, boy. I have no time for you until you are able to bring me something usable." Ōnoki pointed firmly at his door until the clone sighed and turned away to leave. Once he did, the old man climbed down from his chair, mumbling about his back and troublesome son-in-laws as he hunched over to retrieve the papers which were scattered upon the floor.

"Does Mayfly mean anything to you?"

The simple, nonchalant question caused Ōnoki to freeze. After a moment, his shock wore away and slowly, he sat up to see Domon leaning against the closed door, patiently awaiting an answer before he left permanently.

"Why?" Ōnoki asked quietly, eyeing his disfavored family member.

"On one of my stakeouts, a couple of quacks passed me by mentioned it. Thought you'd like to know since you refuse to read my report about it, yes?" Yes, yes he would like to know about it. That name hadn't been dared to be muttered since the Second World War. The captain had brought him a bombshell and didn't even realize it.

Ōnoki ushered the blonde man back and Domon resumed his position in front of the heavy desk, perfectly oblivious to that which he just implied. After shutting out the peaceful view of sleepy Iwagakure as the curtains to the windows were drawn for paranoid privacy, the Tsuchikage returned to his chair. "History was not your strongest subject, was it, boy?"

"I got a D." Domon replied sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. He had gone to school to be a shinobi, not to become a historian.

Ōnoki sighed. "Then I will have to educate you because obviously you do not know of the Mayfly."

"No, I do not." Domon wholly admitted though the name rang a distant bell, but nothing came of it. He probably had been asleep during that lesson.

"You do know what a kekkei genkai is?"

"I'm not that dull, old man." Domon sniffled.

Ōnoki scoffed. "I'm surprised. But I shall educate you anyway." Domon admitted a groan at the unwanted history lesson but the old man spared him a glare which said 'you-brought-this-upon-yourself', or perhaps his signature 'You-are-my-dumb-son-in-law-and-I-am-Tsuchikage-so-deal-with-it.'. Either or. "Very well, allow me to start at the very beginning of the dawn of shinobi." Another groan rumbled in Domon's throat but it was suppressed by the pure weight of the glower the Kage smothered him with.

"Now then, let us begin. When shinobi came to be, not all were alike. Some were born with remarkable abilities. These abilities were known as Kekkei Genkai and whilst some argue the Sharingan to be the most superior today, before its extinction, it was the Mayfly. Those which possessed the Mayfly were the definition of the perfection shinobi. Capable of erasing their chakra signatures by fusing themselves with nature itself for the perfect kill and the best sensors around, able to pick up a person's chakra miles away. That was why Kusagakure stood as the world leader for nearly a millennium, because those with the Mayfly hailed from there."

"Is that why you're so ruffled, old man, yes?" The Domon clone guessed aloud as he clicked his slick, silver lighter for the cigarette propped between his stubbly lips. Following the question, a thick, hard-covered book soared into his face, making the clay creation yelp in mock pain and unlit cigarette in his mouth to be crushed from the impact.

"Allow me to finish, boy!" Ōnoki barked, hand settled on another, equally heavy book beside him, readied to toss it as well. Domon whined, gingerly touching his nose that now displayed an unnatural indent that made his glasses sag and nodded hastily to avoid more unneeded abuse as disposed of the ruined cigarette into his vest pocket.

"Good, now before I was rudely interrupted." Ōnoki resumed and Domon permitted himself to relax a little as the old man removed his hand from his novel arsenal. "The Mayfly was the most powerful and feared kekkei genkai of its time. But, that all ended with the Second World War. The thing about kekkei genkai is they do not remain the same throughout generations. They mutate, like viruses, and affects the wielder both physically and mentally. Most times not for the better. I can guarantee a century ago people did not possess the overwhelming desire to eat dirt and those gross mutations you do today, boy." Domon frowned, glancing self-consciously as his gloved hands and cleared his throat quietly, adjusting his bandanna around his neck. "The Mayfly, unfortunately, endured these mutations as well and its power was lost in legend. Today, it is only mentioned for its infamy."

"What type of mutations?" Domon asked carefully, unconsciously tucking another cigarette in the corner of his mouth.

Ōnoki leant heavily into his leather chair, face etched into a deep frown as years of repressed memories resurfaced. "I never knew a wielder of the Mayfly myself, but I heard tales of their pride and dignity. They were true warriors. Never stabbed their enemies in the back and respected their foes. That was why it was obvious something was amiss when the Second World War began and rumours of mass murders and mutilations arose and those with the Mayfly were accused of causing them. I did not believe at first. Then, during a march through a village on the outskirts of Amegakure, I personally witnessed it."

"What happened?" Domon insisted, now genuinely curious as he mindlessly flickered his lighter a few inches off its mark of the cigarette and the bottom of his clay chin began to bubble and distort from the heat.

"The village had been massacred. Everyone. Men, women, even children. It had been a civilian village, not remotely involved in the war. Their bodies, what was left, had been desecrated." Ōnoki flinched, sighing as he sat up, resting his elbows on his desk as he laid against his folded, wrinkled hands. "We were searching for survivors when a shinobi stepped from one of the houses. He was drenched in blood and dragging a body behind him. We identified him as hailing from Kusagakure from his headband and thought he was doing to the same as us and searching for survivors. I remember how he smiled at us and I noticed there was flesh wedged in his teeth. Then, in a blink, his fleet surrounded us, five of them. They emerged from the ground and we had not been able to sense their chakra, not even our sensors. They were equally bloody and wearing the remains of the villagers on their vests. The Mayfly."

Domon emitted a startled gasped. "Wait…they killed those people and…ate them, yes?"

"Yes." Ōnoki nodded, cringing at the memory. "We hardly survived. They attacked us like animals, not with weapons but of teeth and hands. They bore plant-like mutations from their bodies that reflected our blades and avoided our jutsu by fusing into their surroundings. Within minutes, half of my team and two others which had been traveling with us were massacred. We were forced to flee. They captured one of my men and took glee as they ripped him apart, tearing off his legs so he could not run with us. As we fled, I will never forget his screams and the sound that was made as they ate him alive. They were no longer men but creatures from the depths of Hell itself."

"God." Domon gagged. He repacked his cigarette, suddenly not in the mood to satisfy his programmed desire to smoke at the moment.

"What remained of us returned to the current Tsuchikage and reported our findings only to be told there were reports coming from all over about similar attacks by Mayfly users and teams were also going missing at an alarming rate. Not from Iwagakure but all the Hidden Villages involved in the war. We had been one of the lucky few to escape alive. Shortly afterwards, a secret Kage Summit was arranged to address the problem with the Mayfly."

"Wait a minute, the Kages met in the midst of war, yes?"

"They had no choice, boy!" Ōnoki snarled. "This is was no longer about personal disagreements it was about a bloodline that was not only single handingly conjuring the war but slaughtering innocents and shinobi in droves. It was the largest genocide ever witnessed and Kusagakure refused to cooperate. They were winning the war despite the fact their shinobi were freely murdering civilians also. Something had to be done."

"And what was that something?"

Ōnoki sighed. "Mass extermination."

Domon gaped. "They arranged the elimination of an entire bloodline?"

"Yes. For a brief period, the villages worked together to eliminate those with the Mayfly. Kusagakure was infiltrated and those with the bloodline were gathered and executed on the spot. Including women and children and those which displayed no symptoms of this new mutation. It was too far a risk to allow anyone alive that might pose a new threat. It had been witnessed what even one wielder of the Mayfly was capable of."

"I…I never heard of this." Domon whispered, flabbergasted. Or perhaps he had. Afterall, he hardly paid attention in school. "How did something to that degree not cause an uproar or another war?"

"Because it was being handled by the Five Great Shinobi Nations. Each village had its way of hushing people. Whilst I do not know myself of what measures were carried out to ensure silence about the matter, it obviously worked because you can't even find it written in a history book and anyone that blabbed were assumed delusional. The extinction of the Mayfly is commonly explained as the bloodline functioning as a brain cancer and killing those which possessed it which explained why some went insane and resorted to cannibalism. Shortly after, the war was concluded and most of the current Kage retired. Including the Second Tsuchikage whom I was chosen personally to replace. I assume this decision is the cause of most of the Kage's retirements."

Ōnoki stood from his chair, rounding his desk and giving Domon a stern look. "Now do you understand about the degree of this issue, boy? If someone possessing the Mayfly survived and Kusagakure has them in their possession, there is no telling of what their plans are. Nothing good, I assure though." He rubbed his chin, eyes closed thoughtfully. "Kusagakure was left in shambles after the Second World War. They were stripped of their title, bloodline and ordered to repay the entire debt of the war. It is not farfetched they harboured a grudge due to that. It explains their suspicious activity as of late."

"You think they were trying to reproduce the Mayfly, yes?"

"Yes I do. But, we have no evidence of the matter. We have confirmed, however, without a doubt they were in alliance with another village because such a project, if it did exist, would too large for them finically. Someone is funding them and possibly even supplying them."

"Konohagakure?" Domon remarked, stroking his blonde goatee. "I heard they were famous for their science and doctors. Rumour is they are attempting to revive the Senji bloodline. They seem to be the best qualified."

"They are also currently leading this war meaning they have considerable funds." Ōnoki nodded, making Domon grin at the rare approval from his disgruntle father-in-law. "They are a perfect candidate but we cannot assume. We need proof first. If we are able to prove they are indeed assisting such a deplorable project, or any other village, then another Kage Summit will have to be arranged."

"So what's the order, old man? Storm them, yes?"

"No!" Ōnoki barked, pointing a finger at his son-in-law. "You are to avoid any and all confrontation with Kusagakure. If they do have the Mayfly or Konohagakure or other Hidden Village is involved then all you'll be doing is walking you and your men into a trap. Your orders are to remain away but to resume your observations in secret. This revolution shall be between you and I only. Tell no one. I will handle this."

Domon quirked an eyebrow. "You?"

"I am the Tsuchikage! Are you doubting my position, boy?"

"No, no, no." The clone stuttered, holding his hands up in defense before the old man struck him with another book or something worse.

"Good." Ōnoki returned to his chair, picking up his quill and dipping it in his inkwell. "And pick up your mess!"

Domon groaned but obeyed the man as the clone scooped up the paperwork still laying around the office from his prior pelting. After plucking up each paper and arranging them as neatly as possible, he deposited the stack onto his father-in-law's desk before taking his leave to report back to the real Domon.

"Boy." The clone paused, glancing over his shoulder as Ōnoki that looked at him with a solid stare. "I expect to see you back here safely for your leave in two months. If you for any reason miss the birth of my grandchild, I will personally kill you myself."

Domon barked with laugher, waving the older man off. "Don't fret, old man. I wouldn't miss the birth of my child for the world. If I did, Kira would kill me off far before you got to me. Speaking of which, has Kira told you the baby's gender yet?"

"No. She's kept it quite the secret."

"Ah. I hope it's a boy. I've got a few names in mind." Domon mused, adjusting his slipping glasses and smiling softly at the thought of being a father and taking an early retirement to be with his family once and for all.

Ōnoki permitted a smirk to cross his old lips. "Hopefully it doesn't turn out anyway as you. I'd rather not have another mud-eating, multi-mouthed freak running amuck." Domon's smile was quickly erased from the jab and he whined pitifully as the unprovoked insult. "Now away. I will contact you when I have made arrangements about the issue with Kusagakure.

"Fine. Say hi to Kira for me?"

"I'll try to care enough to remember." Ōnoki commented under his breath, returning to his paperwork as the clone left.

…

**AN:** _I want to apologize immensely for the delay. College really sidetracked me since I am taking a writing class which requires writing other stories then I had a three-month Math class to complete. Also there is this little game called Monster Hunter 4U that released. Yeah, I've lost my life in that game, I have 220 hours clocked. _

_Anyway, here is the chapter and sorry if it's an exposition dump and not the best. Next chapter(s) are going to be stuffed to the brim with action as Kakuzu and Domon confront the mysterious Mayfly wielder. But be warned, enough though I have my free time back to write, that chapter might take some time too so please don't get discouraged. Sorry for any inconstancies or Ooc. It's been a month so things are kinda forgotten. _

_Anyway, thank you for reading and R&amp;R? Would help a lot. _

_(P.S. Please excuse the grammar and punctuation mistakes.)_


	7. Arc 1: Chapter 6

**AN:** _Here is the next chapter and it is gonna be dramatic. Please excuse me now, I am not good at writing fight scenes but I did my best._

**Warnings:** _**Blood, Language, Death**_

_**EDIT: Chapter edited as of (July 4th) Minor editing for quality purposes.**_

…

**Wasteland**

**Act 1:**

**Chapter 6**

Time itself seemed to freeze before the ominous presence but the flames pranced on, unhindered on the helpless trees behind, and embracing the man with their eerie glow. Those which had fled about to retrieve water stood motionless, buckets and devices that wielded the water lax in their arms and wide eyes fixated on the unwelcomed newcomer. No one dared to move and were fearful to even release a breath too loud. Something bubbled uncomfortably in the pit of Domon's stomach that had never before roused in the face of a foe. Legitimate fear? No, fear of the unknown because everything the old man that foretold to him, it was nothing compared to the actual thing.

The imposing figure remained stationary, grin unwavering, wide and maniacal, and his scarred chest heaving with heavy, rattling breaths. The flower stretching from his back flexing its long petals and faintly shuddering, emitting a low hissing that only those closest could hear. The eyes of the soldiers fixated onto their captain, silently pleading him to give an order or explain this sudden enemy so they could proceed but Domon was lost also. Whisked away in the rushing river of a million thoughts between concerns for his missing teammate and recalling his father-in-law's tales of those which mirrored demons themselves.

Kakuzu kept his hand firmly on Domon's shoulder, preventing him from any brass movements that might provoke their unwelcomed guest. His only knowledge of the Mayfly was from the horror stories whispered during his years of imprisonment from excorticated veterans during the Second World War. He was unable to tell which had been fiction and those that had been truth, due to haven been incapable to witness it himself. He wasn't willing to take the risk in discovering the difference, however. One thing was for sure, this man was different from those he fought during the First World War, when those with the Mayfly had their sanity perfectly intact and did not sprout vegetation from their bodies or carve human flesh.

Unfortunately, that war had more than half a century ago and Kakuzu had only encountered a dozen of the Kusagakure shinobi before being reassigned so his knowledge on how to counter them was fuzzy. Avoid the ground, that was a positive, but that was all that rang. He blamed his memory partly on his older age. Something about…metal? Or was he confusing that with myth? Water perhaps?

"Captain Katsu!" Came a call from behind, breaking Kakuzu's concentration with a throaty growl. Domon followed the exclamation to discover the remaining members of the Explosive Corps, two male Chunin and a lone female Jonin, sprinting towards them. "Captain Katsu! Report!?"

It was then Domon realized Masato had yet to emerge from the tree line since his mine had been triggered and could no longer sense his chakra signature, confirming his suspicions the man had been indeed killed as a result. "Masato is dead."

"Dead!?" Kimiko, the female Jonin and Domon's second hand, gasped and the other two members exchanged startled gazes. "The explosion?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"Him." Domon pointed at the Mayfly Man. The abomination snorted, his shit-eating grin vanishing, having apparently been offended from the innocent gesture.

"Who is…?" But the question could not be asked as 001 shrieked, a sound so shrill it would never be thought it could be produced by human lungs and those subject of the scream winced.

He dissolved into a blur of pale flesh and the glowing, red streaks of his eyes and within the next second, a recently graduated Chunin that had been standing mere steps away, was falling as slowly as the moment felt. Eyes bulged in their sockets and mouth agape, blood bubbling from his trembling lips. The metal bucket he had been grasping crashed to the ground, spilling its watery contents and washing away the blood that splashed the dirt. The boy struck the ground with a hollow thud and uttered a wet gurgle through the chasm which had been carved into his throat before breathing no farther. Above him, the Mayfly Man stood, arm outstretched with his hand flat, fingers compressed tightly together. The digits were covered in crimson.

"Haji-!" Domon gasped but before the name would escape his lips in its completion, 001 was moving again and another Chunin, who had been standing closely behind fell also. It was at the moment, any and every strategy Domon had conceived against this foe was whisked away in the wind. All his mind was emitting now was to run. To get away.

"Run!" The captain commanded, throwing his arm. "Position yourselves!"

Everyone obeyed as they fled, the air straining with the crashing of metal pots and buckets as they struck the ground. The choice of action was poor however, Domon soon learned, as similar to that of a predator, the Mayfly Man's eyes lit up like bonfires and with a thrilled howl he dove towards the ground, body paling into a white texture that phased though the dirt and disappeared from sight without even a chakra signature to trace.

"You fool!" Kakuzu barked, releasing the blonde as he skipped backwards, eyeing the ground for any evidence of lumps beneath the dirt pursuing him. "Get off the ground!"

People scrambled for the nearest structures for leverage while Domon hastily groped for another handful of clay while mimicking Kakuzu's actions. Unfortunately, those which straggled behind were picked off easily. A scream rang out and a Genin medic fell, yelling and clawing the dirt as his bottom half was swallowed up by the ground like quicksand. The two which had running ahead of him stopped and sped back for their teammate. Each clenched onto a flailing arm and struggled to pull the poor boy free from the devouring pit. Regardless of their intense hoisting, the younger man was steadily devoured into the floor until his upper body was swallowed whole and the two watched in horror as he vanished into the dirt, blood bubbling through to the surface.

Suddenly, a hand shot from the dirt and collided into one of the hovering men's faces, yanking the man head first towards the ground. The other shinobi shouted the man's name and caught his friend's arm, pulling it backwards to free his companion. There was a nasty cracking the man tumbled backwards with his friend falling atop him. He sighed but his relief quickly transformed terror when noticing the headless corpse now sprawled over him as the decapitated head was swallowed up by the ground also a few feet away. Seconds later, he met the same fate as his teammates are a pair of arms jutted from the floor and enveloped his torso, snatching him down also until the dirt muffled his screaming and pooled with blood.

Those went were fortunate enough to survive the first wave of attacks hunkered down in the classrooms of a nearby abandoned school building, weapons clenched at their vests as they peered out the empty window sockets for evidence of the enemy. Outside, Domon had mounted a grand, fabricated wyvern, hovering safely in the air with the remaining Explosive Corps clinging to its legs and elsewhere Kakuzu seated in the high branches of an ancient tree, both men eyeing the dirt and decayed grass below closely.

After several tense seconds, a creaking alerted the shinobi and they spun around to discover the splintered wooden floor was throbbing as an unknown white substance oozed through the broads. The tipped desks and chairs were pushed aside by the fluid as it spread out, shaping itself into a thin, star shape with a mouth-like extension in the middle. It slowly solidified, etching texture to the arms and the white colouring rusted, transforming into the Rafflesia the Mayfly Man bore on his back. Immediately, a putrid smell like that of a hill of rotting corpses assaulted the men and they wrenched and covered their noses from the offensive scent. The flower shuttered, the mouth audibly wheezing with a distinctively pink dust floating from its red lips.

Suddenly, it inhaled, petals swelling to twice their size and with a rattle the flower exhaled, a plume of the mist escaping its lips and infesting the air. Those unlucky enough to breath at the time were suffocated as the dust infiltrated their lungs, scorching them like fire and causing the tender flesh to melt away. The victims collapsed to the ground, gasping and choking as blood bubbled from their lips, eyes bulging and staining yellow as the vapor burned through their lungs and liquefied their internal organs in a matter of seconds. The rest of the shinobi shielded their noses and mouths with their headbands and dove from the broken windows to avoid the mist, only a dozen of them managing to escape. The airborne poison followed suit into the open air but evaporated into the wind and rain.

_Don't breathe the mist. _Shirou's dying words echoed through his captain's mind as the pink vapour drifted from the windows of the decayed school. Domon grit his teeth. _'This is what Shirou was speaking of. The bastard can produce a poison.'_

Those which had survived the gassing fled to their leader's side. Domon analyzed them and swore beneath his breath. Within a matter of minutes, he had lost a member of his Explosive Corps and his manpower had been halved. The Mayfly Man has managed to do what an entire army took hours to do within a blink. He was beginning to understand better why those with the Mayfly had been perceived as such a massive threat by all nations during the war.

The atmosphere was tense as the survivors searched for the slightest hint of a chakra signature while additionally viewing the area around their feet for any signs of a shift beneath the ground. The blaze raging around them had seized the crumbled guard tower and ate away the stone structure. The crackling of the immense heat infected the air and made listening for movements impossible so no one heard the shifting of the ground as 001 emerged behind them. Kakuzu, still safely huddled in the branches above was the only witness of the attempted flank.

"Captain!" Kakuzu shouted. Domon spun around from the warning to see the experiment charge at his teammates which clung to the legs of his mount. Swiftly, he commanded the wyvern into the air and barely saved one of them from being snagged. The Mayfly Man snarled at the miss and quickly focused on the assortment of shinobi shattered around.

'_We have to attack while he's above ground and ensure he can't phase again.' _Domon thought, glancing at the small sized fleet which remained, concluding the appropriate method to proceed with. "Commence Formation 8, Strategy 3!"

"Yes, sir!" The remaining shinobi chorused and took position, creating a diamond formation while the Explosive Corps leap behind the men, lining themselves up shoulder to shoulder.

The Mayfly Man observed the soldiers that stood ready, not seeing the threat but rather an easy killing ground as he purred and grinned at the generous gift. Without little thought, he charged towards, releasing a predatory howl and making a grab for the person at the tip of the arrangement. The Iwagakure shinobi's reaction was barely fast enough to dodge the grapple, skipping backward into the heart of the formation with the abomination hot on his heels who had yet had to realize the blatant trap. Once 001 stomped in the middle of the constant, the others tossed down weapons scrolls, summoning steel chains they withdrew and hurled at the experiment. The chains made contact, winding themselves tightly around the man's limbs and body, wounding his Rafflesia safely shut and successfully anchoring him in place. He roared and struggled against the binding with little triumph as the shinobi kept a solid grip on the chains to prevent any and all chance of escape while the Explosive Corps booby-trapped the man with explosive tags.

In the trees above, Kakuzu snorted. "Looks like the boy finally has his mind in this game." The older man remarked as he relaxed against the rough trunk of the tree, crossing his arms across his chest, deciding to remain on the outside and spectate the rest of the conflict. He was only here to confirm the existence the Mayfly, which thankfully had done itself, so now all was left to retrieve his paycheck and if the Mayfly Man was alive, whisk him away for extra profit.

"Hold him!" Domon shouted as his men struggled to restrain the howling monstrosity. His hands hastily chewed mouthfuls of clay and spat out earthy fleas that bounced to the ground, marching in unison towards the thrashing Mayfly Man. "Do not release until my say!"

The insects crawled onto the experiment, each latching onto their respective explosive tag. Once each bug was in place, Domon positioned his hand in the required hand sign to detonate them and end this once and for all. "On my call…n-" But before he could give the call and command everyone to release and back away from the impending eruption, the Mayfly Man screamed and suddenly, the chains bounding him shattered like glass, the crimson flower on his back flying open again, roaring also.

A few men fell to the ground from the abrupt backlash while those which kept their balance struggled to rebind the enemy with the remaining length of chains. The Mayfly Man sidestepped most the attempts and grasped onto two of the chains, yanking them and causing the handlers to fly forward with such strength their skulls collided with a sickening crack and collapsed to the ground, blood leaking from their mouths and noses. He grabbed a random chain, wrenching another victim towards him and as the man slid through the dirt, he stomped on his skull, crushing it like fruit.

Those who remained released the chains and Domon urged them away before igniting the tags. "Katsu!" Nothing followed. Not a pop, or a sizzle. Just silence.

The Mayfly Man snarled and faced the blonde, revealing to Domon's horror, the tentacles of the Rafflesia had plucked off the clay blood suckers within the matter of seconds and had "killed" them by shutting down their chakra emitters with its poison. The plant crushed them into undistinguishable mush and tossed them to the ground, 001 smashing them into the dirt as he stepped towards Domon, tearing off the useless explosive tags coating his pale flesh.

"Explosi-" Domon called when the Mayfly Man lunged into the air, grappling onto the head of the wyvern. The dragon wavered, dropping latitude from the additional weight but barely able to keep afloat. The experiment hooked his fingers in the soft foundation as he clawed his way towards Domon, drool cascading from his snarling jowls and hellborn eyes burning. Domon scrambled to the opposite side of the craft away from his pursuer, glancing between the Mayfly Man and the ground decently far below, weighing his limited options. The Mayfly Man screeched and seized the opposing man's ankle, using it to pull him forward and in a split second, Domon made his decision and pitched himself over the side of the wyvern to the ground below. Mid-freefall, he flashed a hand sign and the dragon instinctively plunged into the black sky above and into the dark clouding, 001 still clinging on.

"Katsu!" A rumbling originated in the clouds, resembling loud thunder and a second later, the sky lit up with a brilliant light and fire.

Domon quickly braced himself and struck the ground, gasping as the breath was thrusted from his lungs and back throbbed from the hard impact, enough to bruise but not break as squishy mud had absorbed the blunt of his fall. The members of the Explosive Corps were fast to his side as they assisted their stunned superior into a sitting position, wiping the wet dirt from his clothing and hair.

"Above!" Someone shouted and everyone gazed towards the sky, including Domon, to see the Mayfly Man falling back towards the earth, his flesh blistered and smoking and the tendrils of his Rafflesia curled like the legs of a dead spider.

'If that explosion didn't kill him, the fall surely will.' Domon thought with a relieved sigh and pushed his dusty googles onto his sweaty forehead, pressing the palms of his hands into his eyes. 'It's over, finally over.'

Those who had survived the massacre erupted into applause and hooting and hollering with the victory. The celebration was short-lived, however, once the Mayfly Man struck the ground. There was no splash of mud or satisfying breaking of bones, instead his skin paled into a blank white shade while still feet in the air and his body transformed into a shapeless mound that melted through the earth once it made contact. The cheers died out and everyone stared in silent horror at the vanishing white liquid.

"He phased…" Domon whispered in disbelief, readjusting his googles over his bulging eyes. "He…survived?"

Before the captain and everyone could register the impossible that had just occurred, The Mayfly Man burst from the mud behind the troop, releasing a high-pitched scream that made a few of the soldiers shield their ears in response. The experiment lunged at a random shinobi and the man drew a kunai, slashing at his attacker while backpedaling only to trip over debris and tumble to the ground. Without hesitation, other shinobi jumped into the fray to save their comrade, swarming the Mayfly Man with knives and shuriken. The blades lodged themselves into flesh deep enough to create rivers of blood across the abomination's body but it did little to deter him as he resumed his relentless pursuit of the man who struggled to regain his footing. He snagged the man by his ankle and lashed him into the air by his leg, using his body as a mock mace to counter his assailants as they attempted a second attack.

He swung his living weapon and the helpless man's body struck one of his teammates, the impact vicious enough to break the ribs of both parties and knocking over the latter male. A medic ran to his aid to heal his shattered abdomen but could do nothing when the Mayfly Man slammed his fleshy flail down onto him, hard enough to kill the poor boy instantly where he crouched. Realizing the new offensive their enemy had taken, the few which remained backed out of the ambush but did not escape when the Mayfly Man hurled the now fresh corpse at them, bowling them over like pins. The duo which were grounded strained to remove the dead weight from atop them when the experiment surged at them, stomping down onto the carcass and using it to crush them as he repeatedly jumped on it until there was nothing left but bloody mush beneath his bare feet.

The lone soldier which avoided the attack flung himself at the Mayfly Man whilst he was distracted with his bouncing, kunai glistening in his hand and plunged the blade into one of the coiled leaves on his back. The knife sliced the fleshy petal, blood spurting free and the Mayfly Man screeched. In response, the monster delivered a foul punch to the man's face, killing him as his nose was plunged into his brain, before shrinking away, yelling incoherently as he groped for the punctured leaf that split crimson down his spine in a great quantity. Domon saw the Mayfly Man's thrashing and obvious discomfort and noted it. So that was the weak spot. The plant was merely an extension of himself, after all, an extra limb. Losing an arm or a leg tended to be deliberating.

"Aim for the flower on his back!" He instructed the Explosive Corps members, the soldiers nodding and the three of them separated to flank the abomination. The few Iwagakure shinobi which lived joined the offensive.

The mouths of Domon's hand finished their chewing and he activated a pack of dogs as a distraction as they rushed the Mayfly Man. The man averted his pain as he noticed the hounds and roared, swinging his fists at them which harmless bounced off the solid muddy material. The dogs danced around him, agitating him farther and he roared again, spitting and snarling. With the foe successful distracted, the Explosive Corps zeroed in, explosive tags in hand which they tossed at the man, the extra help pinning them to the surface of the flower with senbons that activated them also. The Rafflesia on his back convulsed, spewing a cloud of poison in response.

_Don't breathe the mist…don't burn! _Screamed the dead man's warning in Domon's subconscious again, the words making his heart clench."Wait!"

It was too late, the tags were triggered and exploded, igniting the lingering mist and doubling the size of the explosion into a massive detonation that engulfed the Explosive Corps members and troops. The clay hounds fled back to their creator, heat of the fireball hardening their sensitive flesh and they collapsed into apart into broken shards. The eruption dissolved into smoke and Domon held his breath, awaiting for the smoke to clear and disclosed the fate of his teammates and the Mayfly Man. Seconds later, the wind and rain banished the murky fog, revealing the abomination had survived, the flower behaving like a shield as it hugged him with its tendrils, protecting him from the blunt of the combustion. Scattered around him were the bodies of Domon's teammates and men, having been less fortunate as they lay slumped on the ground. His entire army, now laid dead. The captain choked though before tears could be shed, two of his teammates began to move as Kimiko and Nabuo scrambled to their hands and knees, coughing and singed but thankfully alive. Iwao was the last to move and released a blood-curdling howl.

"My arm!"

Nabuo and Kimiko looked over to the Chunin only to discover in their horror his right arm was missing, blown clean off, as he cradled the bleeding stump, withering and moaning on the ground.

"Iwao!" Nabuo gasped and crawled to the injured man, shedding his Iwagakure vest and pressed the jacket against the stump to absorb the bleeding though the tightly woven fabric did little to interrupt the steady flow. All their medics now lay dead and there was close to nothing else he could do to save his comrade. "Iwao, stay with me! Stay awake!" He scolded as Iwao visually began to fade in and out of consciousness from the shock.

The Mayfly Man growled, exhaling excess black smoke from his nostrils and corners of his mouth from the explosion and paced toward the two men. Kimiko struggled to her feet, wavering slightly before chasing after.

"Don't touch them!" She screamed and propelled herself on the man's back, clinging to the burnt Rafflesia flower for leverage. The Mayfly Man yelled and stumbled back, groping wildly for the woman on his back and thrashing to shake her off. Kimiko held on with all her strength and withdrew a kunai from the pouch strapped to her leg, plunging the blade into the stem of the vegetation that connected directly into the man's back causing 001 to screech. More pollen expelled from the plant as a defensive mechanism and Kimiko shielded her nose against her vest, holding her breath as she cleaved at the flower, blood spilling from the lacerations and pouring down the man's back. The abomination squealed and bucked like a wild hog but failed to free himself of the Jonin and after much sawing, the knife broke through and Kimiko tumbled to the ground along with the amputated Rafflesia.

The flower violently spasmed in the dirt, emitting high pitched whines as blood and pollen frothed from its petals and mouth until it stilled and wilted away seconds later. The Mayfly Man shrieked, his voice cracking from the intensity of the sound, and collapsed, panting and moaning as blood bubbled from the gaping hole now torn into his back. Kimiko scrambled to her feet to get away before the monster regained his composure but the 001 recovered from the mortal blow like it had been a painful paper cut. He screamed, trembling, bloodshot eyes bulging in their sockets and jaw nearly unhinging with the force of the yell. Domon and Kakuzu both simultaneously flinched at the raw amount of chakra that was radiated and gasped as the impact of it left them breathless. The masks on Kakuzu's back shuttered. Kimiko froze up, incapable to move from the pure shockwave of it.

The Mayfly Man lashed around and grasped the woman by her hair, wrenching her up by the black locks so she was leveled with his snarling maw. She yelped and thrashed, clawing at the hand. When that didn't work, she reached to her weapon holster, a movement her assailant caught. He snatched the offending hand and with a single, harsh squeeze shattered it, making the woman choke on a scream.

"B-Bastard…" Kimiko hissed through clenched teeth and spat in the Mayfly Man's gleaming, red eye, much to his displeasure. The man screamed and cocked his arm back, proceeding to slam the woman's face into the ground with disturbing strength that caused an audible cracking to emit from her skull.

"Kimiko!" Domon yelled in horror as his teammate was repeatedly smashed into the ground until she was nothing but a blur of flying red and black hair, the sound of her skull being reduced into pulp assaulting the ears of the rest of the Explosive Corps.

"Kimiko!" Nabuo echoed, leaving the unconscious Iwao as he charged the Mayfly Man. His attack was unsuccessful as 001 perceived the rush and chucked the limp body at him, knocking the man off his feet. Nabuo struggled to heave the weight of the dead woman off him but the attempt was feeble as the Mayfly Man was above within a second and delivered a powerful punch into his face, causing his nose to explode in a cascade of blood. He reared back for another hit and in a split-second decision, Nabuo cowered beneath Kimiko, allowing her corpse to absorb the blow.

"Nabuo!" Domon shouted and ran at the Mayfly Man, producing a handful of clay bees which he then chucked at the man. Seeing the white spots speed towards him, 001 deployed an earlier technique as he scooped up Kimiko's body and threw it towards the explosives, effectively knocking them harmlessly from the air and striking Domon who was unable to dodge in time. The blonde fell to the ground with his teammate pinning him to the ground and the Mayfly Man wasted no time to lunge at him.

"Katsu!"

The insects which lay in the dirt discharged, summersaulting the abomination in mid-air and causing him to crash on his wounded back, stunning him as for gasped for breath and withered. Nabuo seized the opportunity and assisted his captain in rolling their former teammate off him. Domon stood, wincing at the sight of the blood which stained his vest and the strains of black hair caught in the valcro but forced himself to ignore its existence.

"Thank you, Nab-"

"Watch out!" Nabuo gasped before Domon could finish and wrenched his superior out of the way just as an arm swung towards them. It missed Domon, barely, and instead punched through Nabuo's chest like it had been made of tissue paper. Domon gaped at the sight of the bloody fist protruding from the fellow man's torso before shifting his eyes upwards into the burning pits of the Mayfly Man that hovered above. Nabuo wheezed, it faintly sounding like an apology to his leader before going lax and the fist was yanked free of his chest, allowing his body to crumble at Domon's feet.

"Nab-" Again, before he could even breathe the man's name, the Mayfly Man surged at Domon, snarling and canines gnashing like a rabid dog.

"Katon: Intelligent Hard Work!"

A stream of fire shot from above from the darkness, colliding with the Mayfly Man's back. He screamed and stumbled backwards, thrashing and shrieking as the flames devoured his back. Landing behind him were Kakuzu, having finally decided to join the bout after supplying moral support the entire time, and a strange, bipedal, black creature with a white grinning face. The experiment screamed and swung at Kakuzu which he easily avoided and the creature beside him opened its clay mouth, releasing another jet of bright fire that engulfed the Mayfly Man. He fled from farther attack before jumping into a nearby puddle to exhaust the flames.

"Akatsuki! Finally decided to help, yes?" The captain questioned sarcastically, despite being unspeakably relieved for the assistance.

"Kakuzu." Kakuzu grunted, releasing his real name, as Domon stumbled beside him. "And yes, only because I need you alive for my paycheck."

Domon snorted at the other man's apathy. "Is money all you care about, yes?"

"What else is there to care about? Now put yourself together, captain. This is no time for you to crumble apart." Kakuzu scolded, noticing the blonde's obvious trembling and heavy breathing.

"I just witnessed my entire team and army be torn apart by a demon." Domon retorted, swallowing back saliva that tasted of iron and dirt. "And it's been awhile since I've had cigarette."

"At least you have your sense of humour."

"It's all I have left." Domon replied, removing the pack from his vest pocket and tapping a cigarette into his palm. He shook the box, listening to the near empty contents before replacing it in his pocket. "Have a light, yes? I lost my lighter in the fight."

There was a purr beside him and he looked over to see the grinning creature staring at him, mouth agape with a tiny flame dancing inside. Domon hesitantly accepted the kind gesture as he poked the cancer stick in the mouth, lighting it and quickly taking a puff to drown his emotions and insecurities in a smoky high.

"I suggest you finish that and prepare yourself because everything that just happened was only the beginning." Kakuzu stated as the Mayfly Man finally succeeded in extinguishing the blaze and regained his footing, clearly unpleased as his lips curled back past his yellowed canines. The fire had managed to cauterize the wound on his back, ceasing the fatal blood loss and he was rearing for a second round.

"Beautiful." Domon grumbled and with one last drag, releasing the plume of tar-tinted smoke from the collar of his headband before flicking the live cigarette to the ground, smothering it in the mud with his boot.

The fire which consumed the forest began to surround them as it swallowed up the corpses littering the battlefield and decayed buildings, creating a stadium of fire that was steadily closing in around the three men. Domon realized only one of them might escape this, perhaps two if they were fortunate. Which two, he prayed it would be himself and the Akatsuki, Kakuzu. If not then, Domon would make damn sure the Mayfly Man did not escape, even if it cost him his own life.

…

**AN:**_ I am SO sorry for the delay of this chapter. Life was been a clusterfuck lately with college finals, relationship issues and moving. I also want to apologize for the problems with this chapter as writing fight scenes is not my strong point and I tried my best to keep it within the M rating. Please tell me if it was too graphic so I can fix it. Also sorry for typos and grammar. I have no BETA and this was a long chapter to read over so mistakes might have been missed. _

_I felt like I made everyone a bit too weak but then again, how do you fight an enemy that can go invisible and withstand being blown up and having a vital limb amputated? That is why zombies always take over the world. Next chapter should be better as now Domon and Kakuzu will be fighting together. After that, then we can get back to the boring stuff. That chapter might take awhile too as I have summer class but it shouldn't be as long of a wait as this chapter was. _

_Thank you to everyone that has favourited and alerted this story. You inspire me to update as quickly as possible. Please R&amp;R?_

_P.S.: I changed the number of Explosive Corps members from 10 to 4 since figuring out 10 different ways to kill them was too much of a task and I was getting tired of juggling so many characters. I fixed this in chapter 4 also. _


	8. Arc 1: Chapter 7

**CHAPTER REPOSTED AS OF (July 7****th****): MAJOR EDITS TO IMPROVE QUALITY. **

**AN: **_**Due to a comment considering this chapter, I have edited it to better to explain Kakuzu's 'weaker' fighting style at random points. Basically, Kakuzu only possesses two hearts as of this point in the timeline, his fire and wind element. Due to my aim towards a more realist or 'human' take on him, these hearts are supporting his main one which supports him so losing one would be crippling due to his age. They are literally preventing him from just rolling over dead from old age. If I had written Kakuzu as he was at his debut, this chapter would only a paragraph long where he rekts without breaking a sweat and that would be boring. So basically to sum it up, Kakuzu is only at half power in this ONE fight scene because he has not yet discovered the limit of his power. Later on, when I have to write another scene as this, he will be at fullish power so please be patient and remember I am no good at writing these scenes. Just suspend your disbelief for this one sole chapter, please. Thank you.**_

**Warnings:**_ Violence, Language, Blood, Death_

…

**Wasteland:**

**Act 1:**

**Chapter 7**

Domon hadn't been raised a religious man but he knew what demons were. Demons were abominations rejected by God and often described as beings with sharp teeth and red eyes reminisce of the flames of Hell which they expelled from their mouths. When shinobi were born, demons were renamed as the Uchiha. If Domon has been alive during the time, then he was positive they were referred to as the Mayfly during the Second World War. Perhaps, they were demons themselves having crawled from the depths of Hell. Only a demon could accomplish the atrocious things he had witnessed this morning. How was mankind capable of reviving such a thing?

His bewilderment was interrupted however, when the Mayfly Man screeched, a sound that paralleled a fearsome bird of prey and charged into a sprint toward them, briefly galloping on all fours to gather speed.

"Teo!" Kakuzu shouted at his fire element mask.

The hulking creature, nicknamed Teo, inhaled and rapidly exhaled a barrage of fireballs at the charging abomination. The Mayfly Man displayed an impressive dodging technique as he skipped and danced around the blazing bullets. In the midst of his prancing, Teo seized the opening and spewed a sizable fireball at him, striking dead on as it exploded against his chest. The experiment screamed and dropped to the ground, rolling in the surrounding puddles like one was taught in school to exhaust the flames. Kakuzu snorted. How easy this would be, he would only need one of two hearts for this.

Once the mud smothered the fire, the Mayfly Man sat up and snarled at the thread monster who growled back, parting its red lips with a tiny flame twirling between as a threat. Heeding the warning, the Mayfly Man did not attempt another attack, instead he lunged forward into the mud and both Domon and Kakuzu swore aloud.

"He's going to phase again!" Domon cried, quickly digging for his clay to halt the man before he could successfully escape them. If he phased, they were sitting ducks.

"Teo!" The fire behemoth's mouth went agape, a fire roaring within its porcelain skull and directed it towards the submerged man. Kakuzu was about to give the command when he noticed something peculiar after seconds passed and the Mayfly Man had not yet phased. Domon paused also.

'_He isn't phasing?' _Kakuzu thought, observing the Mayfly Man as he attempted in vain to fuse with the ground to the point he was smearing his face in the mud. _'No, he can't phase. But why not? Too injuried? Did it have something to do with that vegetation?' _

After more failed attempts, the Mayfly Man gave up and resorted to rushing Kakuzu instead. The mask, Teo, swiftly reacted aggressively to this, exhaling a flamethrower that the experiment attempted to block with his arm. The flames swallowed the limb and the man skipped away from the surge, arm alit like a torch. Within a second, he had switched attention to Domon and charged the blonde next with a yell. Domon dodged past the Mayfly Man as he thrusted the burning fist towards him, the hungry flames singeing his blonde facial hair and deforming the rubber of his googles. The experiment delivered a few more punches without success before the downfall doused the flames scorching his skin. Domon's extra mouths finished their chewing and the captain tossed a handful of clay beetles at the Mayfly Man now that his weapon was extinguished.

The Mayfly Man glanced around for a protection from the explosives and hastily crouched, shoveling an armful of mud and flinging it at the projectiles. The wet dirt knocked them from their airbound course, plastering their tiny wings to their bodies as they spiraled to the ground, the mud swallowing them up.

"Shit, Katsu!" Domon activated the explosives, causing them to erupt into a fountain of mud that drenched the Mayfly Man, temporarily blinding him as it splashed into his face. The experiment roared, thrashing to rid the slop and Kakuzu seized his distraction as an opportunity.

"Katon: Intelligent Hard Work!" Teo breathed a stream of fire on the Mayfly Man, making him scream and stumble away from the inferno.

The Mayfly Man tripped over his own feet in his sightless flailing and fell to the ground, burrowing into the mud to shield himself from the flames licking his skin. Realizing the mud rendered his attack useless, the creature ceased his onslaught and the Mayfly Man stood up, wiping the mud from his eyes and running towards Kakuzu with his muscled arm cocked.

"Teo!" Kakuzu barked and the fire elemental mask intervened, breathing a stream of white hot fire again at the charging abomination.

The flames engulfed the Mayfly Man but unlike before, they did little to deter him as he carried forward through the blinding fire, fist extended. The blaze devoured his skin, leaving blistering muscle behind and polluting the air with the smell of burnt flesh. The offending fist was stripped of flesh down to its skeletal form before the entire hand was designated from the wrist and part of the interlocked arm bone.

'_Shit, it isn't stopping him this time!'_ Kakuzu thought and his back twitched as his leftover mask roused from its slumber to join the fray and protect its brethren.

Before then, Teo backpedaled, increasing the intensity of the tornado against the Mayfly Man, who persisted on and with a muffled scream, the experiment thrusted the protruding arm bone within the gaping mouth of the creature, impaling it into pumping heart within. The jet of fire ceased instantly and the creature twitched, gurgling as blood dribbled from the corners of its red lips. The Mayfly Man wrenched his arm back with the withering heart skewered at the end and clamped his yellowed jowls into the organ, devouring it off the bone similar to a shish kabob while uttering an audible purring until he swallowed down the last bloody chunk.

The black threaded creature released a keen squeal as it tittered backwards, its stringy body designating into dust and the leftover mask fell to the mud below, the wet dirt swallowing the porcelain mask until only a single black eye peered through. With the destruction of the heart, Kakuzu collapsed to his hands and knees, coughing up a mouthful of blood into the fabric of his bandanna and wheezing for the air that had been suddenly robbed from his lungs His two remaining hearts clenched painfully, struggling to support his older body with only them both. The Mayfly Man was swift to take notice to the elder's impaired condition and lunged with a screech, bone shiv aimed at the man's bowed back.

"Katsu!"

A clay beetle that had secretly latched itself to the Mayfly Man's pant leg exploded, sending the experiment reeling into the dirt. Kakuzu peered up to see Domon rushing toward him, clasping a handful of more squirming beetles. Experiment 001 recovered from the trip, glancing at his leg which now had a bloody chunk lacking in it between his knee and ankle from the small but lethal explosion. Domon chucked the beetles at the man while he remained downed and the abomination crawled away from the insects marching toward him, stumbling to his feet despite his mangled leg.

'_I've got him cornered.'_ Domon thought and erected his hand into the handsign to detonate him when the Mayfly Man did something that took his off guard. He rushed towards the incoming explosives and launched himself over them, landing hard his feet as the bone holding his injured leg together fractured but little to pause him as charged Domon, weaponized Ulna aimed to kill.

The blonde had only a split second as he withdrew a kunai and reflected the offensive bone when the Mayfly Man snatched his free hand, yellowed canines flashing as he crushed the bones in it like a tin can. Domon shouted in pain as blood and teeth sprayed from the mouth on his palm and before he could react, the experiment knocked the knife from his other hand and stabbed the bone through the gasping mouth, making the captain scream. The Mayfly Man grinned, uttering a low rumble in his throat that mimicked a chuckle and Domon snarled, cringing from the agonizing pain originating from his crippled hands. The cannibal opened his mouth wide, inhuman fangs thirsting for blood. Before he could devour the man's jugular, a disembodied hand shot out towards him, grasping the Mayfly Man's head. He was wretched backwards by his black locks, dropping Domon in process, and through the air, landing directly into Kakuzu's awaiting fist which slammed into his abdomen and knocked him into the ground hard enough to leave a small crater.

"I hope you enjoyed your snack." Kakuzu remarked lowly, downwards at the stunned experiment. "Because you owe me another heart to replace the one you ate." The Mayfly Man snarled and made a motion to sit up but Kakuzu easily prevented it as his threads ejected from his wrist, coiling themselves around the abomination's limbs and pinning him.

Domon sat up, cringing and gazing down at his bleeding hands, the mouths of them rendered useless as one was trampled, tongue wagging limply and missing a few teeth while the other had a clean hole punched through it and gurgled on blood. The blonde swore, realizing with his extra mouths disabled, he could not use his kekkei genkai to its complete potential or effectively wield a kunai, essentially removing him from the fight.

'_Bastard did it on purpose.'_ The blonde thought angrily as he painfully pushed himself to his feet, looking over to see the massive Akatsuki member hovering over the crumpled abomination before retreating to the back of the burning compound to care for his hands. _'Hopefully, this Kakuzu fella doesn't mind if I opt out for now.' _

Kakuzu reared back, delivering a powerful punch to the Mayfly Man's stomach, over and over, causing blood to splash from the man's gaping mouth and shoving him deeper into the earth. All prior plans to keep the man alive for profit had been thrown out the window once he destroyed one of his cherished hearts. Kakuzu had no patience for it. His disfigured corpse would have to suffice now.

Kakuzu paused in his onslaught, swallowing a breath and snorting as he stared at the gurgling man. "I will gladly take your heart to replace the one you destroyed." He remarked as he drew back his arm for the killer blow and thrusted his groping hand towards the other male's heart.

With a burst of conjured strength, the Mayfly Man managed to roll out of the way of the attack and Kakuzu's hand harmlessly smashed into the ground with a shower of mud. The miser grumbled and glanced up to see the monster struggling to his feet, huffing and snarling. Once standing, he spat a glob of thick blood into the dirt before ridding the rest that flowed from his nose with his tongue, purring at the taste of the coppery substance. Kakuzu snorted again, begrudgingly admiring the man's determination as after losing two limbs, which included his Rafflesia, and being partly crippled, he was still going considerably strong.

Before the experiment had a chance to fully recover, Kakuzu's hand launched from his wrist, barreling forward and the man barely managed to dodge it, tumbling to the ground in the process. Kakuzu retracted his hand, striking the Mayfly Man in the back of the head on the travel back and knocking him face first into the mud. The hand reattached to his wrist and he adjusted the fingerless glove while approaching the unmoving brute, brown bubbles surfacing within the puddle.

"Finally, he has reached his limit. His persistence was troublesome." Kakuzu remarked to himself as he lent down to retrieve the experiment, presuming he had drowned in the thick liquid as the bubbles ceased.

Just as he did, the Mayfly Man exploded from the puddle, shrieking and stabbing his broken arm at Kakuzu. Despite his age, Kakuzu's reactions remained sharper than any blade and he smashed his fist into the man's jaw, the crackling air echoing with the sound of breaking bone as his jaw was dislodged from his skull upon impact and sent reeling. However, he refused to remain down this time and scrabbled to his feet, jumping into the air towards Kakuzu, shrieking with his remaining arm cocked back and clashing fists with the other man. Immediately upon contact with the miser's stronger fist, the experiment's arm shattered, exploding into a mist of blood as the skin shredded with fragments of bone penetrating through. The impact sent the former summersaulting backwards and first face into the gathering mud, skidding a few feet before stilling. Kakuzu approached the thrashing abomination once more, rebelling against the dizziness that plagued his brain. The loss of his heart was beginning to take its toll. Two additional hearts were too little to support him physically. He would need more if such a situation arouse again.

The Mayfly Man struggled to lift himself with that which remained of his arms and gurgled threateningly through his dislocated jaw at the behemoth closing in on him when something, rather someone, caught his eye and the pupil lacking, crimson orbs flickered with renewed vigor. Kakuzu noticed the abomination's averted gaze and followed it to discover Domon who, yet having forfeited from the fray, lingered in the background as he tended his wounds. The raging forest fire had devoured the surrounding treeline, eliminating opportunity to flee to the nearby river for moderate safety and the crumbling ruins of Old Kusagakure had been ignited as well, leaving the blonde with nowhere to run or hide and praying the Mayfly Man didn't notice him as he stood helplessly in the middle of the soaked street to nurse his hands. Unfortunately for him, he had noticed him and Kakuzu realized this also when the Mayfly Man surged to his feet and barreled toward the captain, avoiding the black threads pursuing after him as he ran screaming towards the other man, butchered arms outstretched.

The Iwagakure shinobi dove to the ground, barely missing collision with the stampeding experiment and cringing as he landed atop his damaged hands, the thick layer of gaze had had wrapped them with staining with a well of crimson. Before he could stumble away, the Mayfly Man turned on a dime and screeched as he swung his makeshift arm-mace down onto Domon's back, the blonde's vest protecting him from the razor-like slivers of bone that penetrated through the arm. Another swing proved futile and 001 resorted to his other arm, stabbing his bone blade at the other man which Domon rolled away from and the arm sunk wet ground, the mud behaving like quicksand and ensnaring it.

The Mayfly Man squealed, flailing as he attempted to free his arm and Domon took advantage of the abomination's situation, fumbling out a kunai from his vest pocket and aiming it at the brunette's exposed throat. The cannibal caught the shine of the knife and swung his free arm at Domon, striking the blonde in the face, the broken bones impaling and shedding the flesh into ribbons. The man yelped and slashed the kunai blindly in return, hitting a bull's-eye, or human's eye as it sliced across the Mayfly Man's tattooed eyes. Experiment 001 teetered back, emitting an ear-splitting shriek as shook his head, droplets of blood spraying from his lacerated orbs and Domon stole the opportunity to crawl away. Suddenly, a horrid pain shot up his leg and glanced back to discover the Mayfly Man had stabbed his bone shiv through his calf. The abomination growled lowly in his throat, blood rivering from beneath his circled, closed eyelids.

"Shit." Domon swore and jerked his leg away, evicting the forging bone and scrambled to his feet. Apparently, being blinded did little to nothing to hinder the Mayfly Man as he swung his club-like arm, hitting Domon in the side and toppling him over with the force. He withdrew his arm, directing toward the sound of the man's body hitting the ground and swung the spiky limb down, only to be interrupted by a large fist colliding with his head and sending him skidding through the mud. Domon looked up to see Kakuzu hovering above, shaking out his fist from the punch against the other man's thick skull.

"Bastard never stops." Kakuzu sneered, coughing for a few seconds before shifting his attention to Domon. "And the fuck are you still around for? If you can't hold your own then leave. The path back to Kusagakure hasn't been overtaken by the fire yet and I need you breathing for my paycheck." He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder down the dirt road which was remained untouched from the forest fire, granting an escape back to the village for a short period of time.

Domon spat a mouthful of blood from his shredded cheek. "Is money all you care about, yes?" He muttered under his breath, earning a heated glare from a sharp-eared Kakuzu before quickly adding. "And what if he follows, yes? The entire village will be in danger."

"I'll take care of it."

"By yourself, yes?"

"What do you care?" Kakuzu retorted, taking the question as a personal jab.

"Point taken." Domon hustled to his feet, without the helpful aid of Kakuzu, and shifted his weight from his impaled leg, eyeing the open road to Kusagakure. How tempting it was, but a million thoughts prevented him from pursuing it.

For one, there was the possibly of the Mayfly Man stalking him to the village and placing countless lives at risk with his presence. The possibly was very real if the Akatsuki failed to subdue the experiment or died even. Second, was the thirst for revenge. This abomination against nature had slaughtered his entire troop, including his teammates he had been together with since the academy. Limping away with his tail between his legs was not an option nor the shinobi way. He desired his pound of flesh.

The Mayfly Man recovered once more, shaking his head to rid the sweat and dirt coating his face and Kakuzu detected the sluggishness of the man's movements, concluding his steam was finally running thin. It wouldn't be too much longer until he either collapsed from exhaustion or blood loss and being incapable to use his Mayfly, he could not escape suddenly. Kakuzu would buy himself a nice bottle of expensive booze with the bonus check he got from selling the abomination's corpse.

"Let's finish this, I am growing bored of this back and forth." Kakuzu commented, hiking up the sleeves of his black coat and securing the matching leather gloves on his hands.

"If you provide a distraction then I can deliver the finishing blow." Domon offered, checking his remaining clay stash. Kakuzu stared at him flatly, irritated with the blonde's persistence.

"I thought you were incapable of fighting."

"I still have one mouth left." The captain said, gifting the Akatsuki a full-toothed smile and the older man sighed, already too tired with the conversation to argue with the stubborn younger man any longer. The ravenous fire that was currently devastating the ancient forest around them was closing in inch by inch and within a matter of minutes it would swallow the very path they stood on so it was now or never.

The Mayfly Man gurgled, pinpointing the two men by their voices and charged toward the source, cocking his arms back. Domon sprinting from the assault while Kakuzu dealt with it head on, sidestepping the charge and stretching out his arm to clothesline the cannibal. Experiment 001 felt the gust of air the miser's arm vented when he positioned it and dodged beneath it, spinning around and slashing his arm which Kakuzu reflected with his own before swiveling on his foot and punching at the other man. The two exchanges swings, bobbing and weaving from each other and Kakuzu realized that despite the experiment's blindness, he was using his other senses to fluidly evade him, listening to the mud splashing beneath his boots and the dragging of air by his heavy clothing.

Meanwhile, Domon chomped on the wad of clay he had withdrawn from his satchel, hastily chewing the earthy material into a liquid. Once it was thoroughly dissolved, he induced his gag reflex with his tongue and vomited the white fluid onto the ground, creating a gross puddle. He forced his hand into a painful hand sign and the pool exploded into a smoke cloud, clearing after a few seconds to reveal a perfect clone of Domon.

Hearing the ruckus, the Mayfly Man paused in his fisticuffs with Kakuzu and turned his head in the direction of the noise, eyebrows knotting and nose crinkling. Kakuzu took the man's distraction as an opening and threw a punch at his face, the other averting it before speeding off towards Domon with a shriek. Kakuzu ran after only to pause after a few feet to catch his breath, slamming his into his knee in frustration. He had never endured the loss of a heart to perceive the side effects but now he realized how desperately his dying body depended on them. He would need at least five hearts to support himself so he wouldn't be so crippled with one or two being taken out.

Meanwhile, Domon took safety while the clone took offensive, arming itself with a kunai and rushing the monstrosity. Experiment 001 heard the keen cutting of the blade through the air and narrowly avoided it as the clone slashed it at his face, dodging underneath the out sketched arm and resuming his pursuit towards Domon, the real one. Domon glanced up from his process of creating a second clone and nearly choked on the clay when seeing the Mayfly Man running towards him, broken arm pointed straight at him. The blonde stumbled out of the way, his wounded leg giving out and causing him to land on his backside. The clone rushed to its creator's aid and Domon scrambled away, hoping the experiment would confuse the footsteps of them both and mistake the clone for him. Unfortunately, he didn't and dodged the clone again as he continued his chase after Domon who limped away as quickly as he could manage while still chewing the mouthful of clay.

'_Why isn't he attacking the clone!?' _He thought frantically, dodging as the Mayfly Man swung his club-like arm at him. Kakuzu who had been perceiving the whole thing while he recovered understood why.

'_The Mayfly grants him a sixth sense for chakra so he isn't tracking him with sound, but by his chakra signature. That is why the clone hasn't fouled him.' _The elder realized, scowling as he straightened stiffly. _'That brat keeps getting himself into situations.' _

A tremendous cracking from overhead caught Domon's attention and he gazed up just as a grand tree, bisected by the flames, fell towards him. He dove away from the path of the tittering trunk's path, rolling to safety and the tree struck the ground hard enough to make it briefly quake. The blonde pushed himself on his padded elbows and looked over to discover the Mayfly Man had managed to avoid the collapsed tree as well having heard it tumble. Domon's clone was not as fortune however as the tree had torn off one its arms and the intense heat of the fire eating the trunk only inches away caused the clay material of its body to rapidly harden until it solidified within seconds. The Mayfly Man thrusted his arm at the crackling clone and the contact caused it to shatter into several pieces like glass, broken face falling to the ground and staring blankly upward at the abomination.

With the clone decommissioned, the Mayfly Man focused on the sloshing on mud as Domon stood and charged the man, aiming his shiv at the man's turned back. The blonde avoided having his spine severed from the protruding bone but as he spun around, the experiment stabbed it through his hip instead, making the captain's steel grey orbs widen from behind his googles and cringe. The Mayfly Man's lips curled at the expelling of hot blood onto his bare chest as he retracted the makeshift shank and Domon stumbled backwards, cradling the spilling wound.

'_Damn it…did he hit something vital?' _He thought but before he could answer his own question, the Mayfly Man was attacking him once more.

The man backpedaled, wincing at the pain that pledged his side and leg and as he fled the length of the downed tree, he realized his cheeks were still stuffed with liquidized clay and a lightbulb flashed in his brain. The monstrosity swung his clubbed arm at Domon and as he did, the blonde quickly retched the clay. The Mayfly Man squealed, withdrawing as the foreign substance drenched his face and upper body, shaking to rid it but the gooey fluid clung like syrup. As he reeled about, the heat of the burning tree licked the clay and it proceeded to concrete it at an alarming rate, encasing the Mayfly Man in a white shell and transforming him into statue, his arms being rendered immobile and face freezing into a screaming mask. With his legs free, the living sculpture floundered backwards, tripping over his own feet and crashing against the kindling trunk, the earthy cocoon weighing him down and rendering him unable to stand again as he struggled and screeched behind the mask glued to his face as he baked alive. After a minute, the thrashing stopped and the abomination went silent.

Domon stared, searching for any signs of life but saw none, the Mayfly Man had even ceased to breathe. He assumed it was due to the clay obscuring his nose and mouth or the sheer heat. When another minute passed with no movement, the blonde finally allowed himself to breathe and plop to the ground.

"Finally…" He wheezed, wiping the sweat from his brow and double checking the wound to discover it had clipped through his hip bone and though very bloody, had not hit anything critical. Kakuzu slowly approached, eyeing the experiment figurine that laid on the ground.

"Congratulations, captain." He deadpanned, leaning down and knocking on the sheet of clay that covered the Mayfly Man like a chocolate coating. "You successfully killed the one thing that slaughtered your entire army."

Domon snorted, hearing the sarcasm accompanying the personal jab but he couldn't bring himself to take offense to the remark. He had killed the Mayfly Man, and also had proof that the Mayfly existed. Now was just the matter of discovering who was behind it but he was positive that would be left to the Akatsuki. Right now, he just wanted to go home, kiss his wife and mourn the lives of all the men he was lost this day.

"I am to be paid still, correct?" Kakuzu asked suddenly. "I was hired to prove the existence of the Mayfly and secure it, and that just so happened."

Domon sighed, unsurprised that the conversation that steered but to the subject of money. The mindset of a mercenary he reckoned. "Yes, but not now. The guard tower I kept the rest of the payment has been burned down along with everything inside." He explained, gesturing towards the guard tower to the northeast of the forest cul-de-sac that was currently engulfed in flames, fire spewing from the broken windows. For extra salt in the wound, a nearby tree submitted to the fire and toppled onto the stone structure, collapsing in its roof. Kakuzu winced, the thought of burning money made the remainder of his hearts ache. "But if you are willing to join me back to Iwagakure then I'm positive the Tsuchikage will pay you handsomely."

Kakuzu snorted. "That is not ideal." He remarked, not bothering to explain how it would not be a wise idea to scroll into a Hidden Village with the label of S-Ranked regardless if they had personally employed him. And old man's paranoia perhaps. "Instead, you return to Iwagakure to retrieve payment and I shall babysit our friend until you get the money to me," He patted the fossilized Mayfly Man's head. "Otherwise, no payment, no Mayfly."

Domon scowled. He should have known better than to trust a member hailing from an organization of criminals. What was the old man thinking employing the likes of them? Unfortunately, he had no choice. Now that the existence of the Mayfly had been uncovered, he needed the Mayfly Man as proof so they could proceed with building evidence against Kusagakure and whoever was paying them to charge them with crimes against humanity. There was no choice as there was obviously no arguing with this man and he certainly couldn't wrestle the body away.

"Very well. Where shall we rendezvous, yes?"

"The border of Amegakure and Kusagakure. Three days. That should be manageable, correct?"

No, it wasn't. Domon had been hoping to at least have a day to rest, heal his wounds and mental scarring but again, there was little choice. "Fine. Three days. I shall retrieve the payment from the Tsuchikage and meet you again on the border with the Mayfly."

"It is a deal, captain." Kakuzu extended his hand to shake on it and Domon gingerly clasped his hand, shaking it slightly before jerking away and cradling the bandaged limb. "Until then, I shall keep care of our friend."

Kakuzu hunched over to scoop up the human mannequin when a cracking of the clay shell caused his hand to retract. The brunette narrowed his eyes, analyzing the giant crack that spanned abruptly across the Mayfly Man's chest when another shot across his face, then another at the shoulder, then, the encasing exploded. Kakuzu reared back and heard a scream, peering up just in time to see the Mayfly Man lunge towards him, broken jaw shifting back and forth with his shrieking. The man cocked his arm back to punch the abomination when the experiment straighten his legs mid-flight and delivered a forceful kick in his chest, sending Kakuzu skidding several yards.

'_He played dead!?'_ Domon thought, scrambling away from the Mayfly Man who took a moment to shrug the rest of the hard clay from his blistering, pink skin. _'No,'_ He glanced at the nearby trunk that had been smothered by the rain and expelled black smoke. _'He purposely fell against the fire so the clay was heated to the point of breaking and waited. Why is he so smart!?' _

Once having shed the clay, the Mayfly Man noticed Domon behind him and gurgled in his throat and he turned towards the blonde. Domon forced himself to his feet, reversing farther into the burning cul-de-sac as the other man approached slowly like a cat teasing a trapped mouse. The captain glanced down at his half-empty satchel, checking that which remained of his clay. There was barely enough for _it _and had a heavy weight in his stomach saying that he might need _it _too.

Kakuzu recovered from the harsh strike and ran forward towards Domon and the Mayfly Man when a sizable tree which had been chewed away by the flames collapsed onto the path, creating flaming barrier between he and Domon that spanned the width of the encampment. Kakuzu lep back from the blazing trunk, swearing. There was no avoiding any longer, he would have to risk his second heart.

"Doara." He breathed the single word and the following moment, the back of his trench coat shifted and throbbed as from beneath his upturned collar, slithered his wind-element mask, Doara.

The bird-like creature crawled over his master's shoulder and landed to the ground on all fours, shaking itself similar to a dog while flexing its stubby wings and emitting a metallic cawing.

"Futon: Pressure Damage!" Kakuzu directed the creature towards the smouldering trunk.

The foul obeyed, inhaling deeply, the threads composing its chest expanding before exhaling a mighty gust of wind at the hindering flames, causing them to waver and shrink and the trunk to splinter as it was swept into the funnel of a building tornado. Suddenly, a smothering wave of chakra assaulted Kakuzu and Doara, the demented creature ceasing the exhale of air and chirping frantically. Instantly, the older man realized what had caused such a skin-crawling emission of power.

"God damnit! I told that brat not to blow himself up!" Without a second of hesitation, he sprinted down the heated road back towards Kusagakure to escape the potential blast radius, Doara fluttering behind with fearful cawing as it attempted to refuse with its host.

…

With the forest crashing down around him and the flames licking his back, Domon knew this was the end. Trapped between the circling forest fire and rabid Mayfly Man, separated from the Akatsuki, his entire team dead, incapable of using his kekkei genkai and bleeding. It was the end, and there was no fighting it. All he could do at this point, was to ensure if he died, he was making damned sure he was bring this abomination of humanity with him.

The Mayfly Man snarled, blood and saliva rivering from the corners of his mouth, the silence irking him as Domon groped painfully into the pack strapped to his hip, withdrawing a sizable ball of clay. The blonde tilted his head backwards as he loosened the head protector around his neck, the bandanna falling away to reveal a series of ugly, black stitching holding the man's throat together. The broken mouth on his free hand weakly chewing at the thread, eventually breaking through and clamping into the edge of the string as the man yanked back his hand, unraveling the stitching. Once freed, the grotesque scar circling his throat twitched and the separate rolls of flesh curled back over rows of crooked canines, exposing it to be another mouth.

The mouth yawned, causing Domon's entire head to tilt back and exposing the various tendrils and inner muscles composing the blonde's neck. Domon lifted the mass of clay to the mouth and it gladly accepted it, hungrily chowing down into the earthy material and chewing it like a wad of bubble gum. As it chewed, the veins coursing through his throat darkened as the blood rotted with excess chakra. Suddenly, an influx of chakra assaulted the Mayfly Man's senses and he shrieked, provoked from the discharge.

Despite this, Domon, ever so calmly, reached into his vest pocket and withdrew his cigarette pack. He tapped the package on his bloodied palm until the last of the death sticks slithered out. He dumped the empty box into the dirt and lit the cigarette on his skin that sizzled as the skin burned from within, propping it between his discoloured lips and inhaling deeply, the warm smoke scorching his raw lungs and leaking from the corners of the mouth on his neck.

The lingering rain briefly increased in its downpour and a weird sense of peace blanketed him. He had always adored the rain. Unlike most people, example being his wife, it perked his mood and opposed to those people would hide from it, he embraced it. If today's events hadn't unfolded, then he would be walking the complex right now, and relishing the cold chill it left on his skin. The rain softened the realization of his impending death. It was such a beautiful day to die.

"I'm sorry, Kira," Domon apologized, exhaling the smoke with a droplet of blood crawling from the corner of his mouth which mixed with the single tear that escaped from the canvass of his googles. "Looks like I won't be coming home this time."

The Mayfly Man screamed and rushed Domon, amputated arm cocked back with the jutting bone aimed at the man's grinning throat. Domon lifted his hand, the skin having gone completely black and steaming, forming a single hand sign and uttering one last word.

"Katsu."

…

In the early morning hours, a sleepy Kusagakure was rocked by a massive explosion that engulfed the ruins of Old Kusagakure. Buildings swayed precariously on their neglected foundations and the windows shuttered and crack. The inhabitants flee into the streets, yelling fearfully to one another and casting their gaze to the darkened sky above that is now illuminated with a grand pillar of light and fire. The eruption swelled into the likeness of a bird with its wings extended, caressing the heavens above as their tears were halted and radiating a light bright enough to be seen from every corner of the world and blinded those who viewed it directly. The silhouette lingered for only a second before the bird withered, folding in its wings and shrinking away into nothingness from which it came, leaving behind a mushroom cloud of ash and smoke in its wake. The blackness of the storm returned and the downpour resumed, washing away the ashened air. Those which had witnessed the eruption turned to their neighbor to discuss the sudden events.

"What was that?" Was gasped by a few.

"Did that come from the Iwagakure camp?" Murmured others.

From the shadows, Kakuzu observed the fading mushroom cloud and sighed with a shake of his head. His paycheck had just gone up into smoke. He had lost a heart and a payday for nothing. He had half a mind to leave now, but he had never been one to accept failure. The deal with Iwagakure had been terminated but there were plenty of other villages which would pay an arm and leg for the Mayfly. A live specimen was unlikely now but a few documents or samples were worth just as much.

He dug in the breast pocket of his coat and retrieved a pair of sunglasses, pushing them onto his nose to conceal his mismatched eyes before departing into the depths of Kusagakure. But for now, he would have to regroup and organize a plan as to how he would obtain the Mayfly.

…

Days later, news reached Iwagakure about the misfortune regarding Captain Katsu and his squadrons, the Explosive Corps and Fourth Iwagakure division. Ironically, it had been a rainy day and a sense of gloom smothered the village. Ōnoki paused in his tedious paperwork to close his drapes and shut out the sad weather. _'Nothing good ever comes on days such as these.' _He concluded, heaving himself back into his chair and returning to his labour. Minutes later, there was a knock on the door of his office.

"Enter." The old man grunted. The door opened and his assistant, Jirou, entered the claustrophobic office and bowed politely, adjusting his thick rim glasses on his nose as they slipped from the action.

"Tsuchikage-sama. Captain Sho's ninken, Aogiri, has arrvied." He said, stepping aside a large wolf depicted with a tiger-patterned pelt lumbered in and the assistant stepped out behind, shutting the door to grant both parties privacy.

Ōnoki's eyebrows lifted to his wrinkled forehead at the animal's unexpected appearance. Sho was stationed on Kannabi Bridge in Kusagakure, the ninken had traveled quite the distance across war-torn countries to be in the Tsuchikage's presence. A war hawk would have been remarkably safer, but to each their own. "Aogiri, to what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?"

"Not a pleasure, sir." The wolf rumbled, sitting at the foot of the man's desk. "I come to report unfortunate news regarding the Fourth Iwagakure Division and the Explosive Corps and their captain, Katsu Domon."

Immediately, Ōnoki's stomach pummeled to his toes with the use of his disfavoured son-in-law's name and the word 'unfortunate' in the same sentence. He wasn't fond of the boy, but that did not mean he wished any ill on him and his old heart proceeded thump hard in his ears with anxiety. "What unfortunate news did you bring regarding Katsu Domon?"

"Three days ago, Kusagakure was rocked by a massive explosion originating from Old Kusagakure where Captain Katsu and his troops were stationed. Captain Sho, along with a small squadron, set out to investigate the source of the explosion and what they discovered was…distressing." The canine paused, clearing his throat which felt strangely stripped, obviously from the misfortune of informing the Tsuchikage about the death of one of his own. "The entire encampment had been wiped out for a mile radius from the explosion. No survivors nor bodies were uncovered. They are all assumed deceased."

The quill in Ōnoki's hand cracked between his compressed knuckles, echoing loudly through the deadly silent room. The thumping stopped, a cold sweat broke out and he questioned if he was having a heart attack by the foul pain that sickened his heart. Deceased…dead. Domon…was dead? Killed himself and his entire troop? Impossible. It was impossible! He might not be fond of the boy but he knew he would not be responsible for such a thing. He wasn't that dull!

"What happened!?"

Aogiri flinched from the sharpness of his superior's tone and shuffled on the carpet, coiling his maned tail around his paws. "Sho contacted Captain Simon of Tenchi Bridge after the discovery but he reported observing no movements from the Konohagakure encampment across the river nor did Konoha attempt to cross the Tenchi Bridge or the Kannabi Bridge before or the day of the incident. We hypnotized that Konohagakure ambushed Old Kusagakure during the night and slaughtered the troop and Captain Katsu sacrificed himself to eliminate them. This is only a theory, however, as we were unable to recover any evidence to support or reject this. All we know from interviewing locals of Kusagakure was the fighting began early in the morning as they reported explosions and screams from Old Kusagakure during that time. Shortly after was the explosion that destroyed Old Kusagakure." The ninken concluded his lengthy report and dropped his sight to his feet, eyeing his overgrown nails and making a mental note to have Sho trim them.

Ōnoki slumped in his office chair, unable to even comprehend the news which had been given to him as his mind cluttered with a million thoughts. With the thoughts came emotions such as bewilderment. He wanted to know what had caused such an incident. What or who had achieved in the slaughter of an entire troop of highly trained Iwagakure within a night? Next, he was overwhelmed with anger towards Domon. What in that boy's head had convinced him that sacrificing himself with his kekkei genkai was a good idea? There was no evidence he had killed any of the enemy as well so his death might have been in vein. And what if a few of his troops has been alive still and he inadvertently killed them also? Finally, came sorrow when his daughter, Kira, entered his mind. He had promised her that by two week's end she would be reunited with her husband and instead, he now had to inform her of his untimely death. The most, he pitied his unborn grandchild that would now have to grow without a father.

The elder Tsuchikage straightened in his seat, folding his hands on his desk top and sighing softly with his eyes closed. "Thank you, Aogiri. You are dismissed." He whispered.

The dog nodded, standing and bowing. "I apologize for your loss, Tsuchikage-sama." He said, straightening before quietly leaving the office, bumping into Ōnoki's female assistant on the way out who squeaked an apology for colliding with the huge mutt.

"Rika." Ōnoki addressed the blonde woman quietly. "Would you please retrieve my daughter Kira? She should be with Hotaru. Urgently."

The young woman hesitated, noticing the somber look on her employer's face and debated about asking him what could be wrong but decided against inferring with the old man's affairs as she nodded instead. "Yes, Tsuchikage-sama."

Meanwhile, on the other side of Iwagakure, Katsu Kira released a sigh and slumped in her seat, dropping her arms onto her swollen belly and staring blankly at her untouched bowl of hot ramen.

"What's up, Kira?" Her younger sister, Hotaru, questioned, pausing the noisy slurping of her noodles to stare at her somber sister.

"Rainy days bum me." The woman remarked, gazing out of the window of the ramen shop they were currently having lunch in, tucking her black fringe behind her ear as she watched people hurry by to escape the rain. "But it feels like more today. I can't place my finger on it."

"The baby?"

"No, the baby is fine. Usually I can feel him gumming on my organs or kicking me in the kidneys but today he has been oddly quiet. Perhaps the rain calms him like it does for Domon." Kira said, smirking slightly at the memory of her husband and his queer love of the rain to the point he would take walks in it without an umbrella and shirtless. He would love today, just the right amount of downpour and chill in the air to make him sick for days. Those were his favourite.

Suddenly, her casual viewing of the few people walking the streets was interrupted when she saw their father assistant, Riku, scurry by and she quirked an eyebrow as she observed the blonde's almost frantic glancing around as she searched for someone or something. Eventually, the girl's eyes settled on Kira's that gazed at her through the window of the shop and she hurried for the door, yanking it open and stumbling in towards their table.

"Kira-chan!" The girl squeaked, hunching over as she caught her breath from her jog across the village. "Your father has summoned you!"

"Papa?" Kira asked, glancing at her sister who shrugged, swallowing the mouthful of ramen stuffing her cheeks. "What for?"

"I don't know, madam, but it is urgent."

Kira blinked at the girl, pondering what her father could possibly want so desperately he would send an assist to retrieve her and tell her it was urgent. Had Domon returned early? The thought perked her downed mood as an excitement pooled in her stomach. The baby kicked, displeased with her zeal bothering his nap.

Kira awkwardly stood from her seat while Hotaru swallowed down the last of her ramen, and part of Kira's, before following after Riku who led them back to their father's tower. As they navigated the streets there, the positive anticipation in Kira began to sour and the funk returned, growing more and more intense as they neared their destination. When they arrived at the Tsuchikage's tower and slowly ascended the stairs to their father's office, the feeling was so overbearing that Kira stopped and had to gasp for breath.

"Kira, are you alright?" Hotaru asked, worry evident in her voice as she placed her hand on her older sister's slumped shoulder.

"Yes, just…the baby." Kira replied, wincing. It wasn't a lie. The baby had suddenly decided to throw a cow, and the entire farm with it, inside of her stomach as he thrashed and kicked, obviously disturbed by his mother's drowning anxiety.

After regaining her breath, she carried on and Riku opened the door to the office, quickly stepping out of the way of the two women as they entered. Immediately, Kira's unspeakable dread struck her when Domon was not there, ready to scoop her into his arms and smother her with sloppy kisses. Instead, her father was seated behind his desk, head bowed with his forehead resting against his knotted knuckles, eyes closed. His silence did not ease her tension. Riku hustled out of the office and closed the door behind, making Kira flinch as the sound shattered the unnerving muteness.

"Papa…" Kira whispered after several seconds when Ōnoki said nothing. Hotaru shuffled nervously behind her. "Is something wrong?"

"Kira…" Ōnoki finally sighed but could not bring himself to face her as he spoke. "I am so sorry…" That was all it took, just those few words, and Kira's entire universe came crashing down around her as her worse fears were realized.

Kira collapsed to her hands and knees and released a keen wail. Hotaru rushed to her sister's side and cradled her as she trembled, fat tears and globs of snot dripping from the elder's dark eyes and nose and onto the carpet. Kira screamed again, punching her fist repeatedly onto the floor until the threading rubbed away the skin on her hand and it bled. "No! No! No! That bastard! He promised me! He promised me he would come back! No!" She hiccupped. "H-He promised to be here for our baby!" She lifted her red face towards her father, skin wet with cascading tears from her bloodshot eyes. "How!? How Papa!? How!?"

Ōnoki did not answer, instead he averted his sight and pressed his fingers against his eyes, casting away the tears welling them in them from his daughter's meltdown. What was he to say to her? He wasn't sure himself what had occurred except the glaring fact Domon had killed himself. Suicide was such a dishonourable way for a shinobi to embrace death. He would have rather the boy die with his troop then taking his own life and possibly the lives of the men he had been appointed to protect. He could not bring himself to tell Kira that.

"Hotaru…" Ōnoki quietly addressed his youngest, unable to witnesses anymore of his dearest daughter's misery. "Please remove your sister…take her home."

Hotaru nodded curtly and nudged her heartbroken sister. "Come on Kira…" She whispered, sniffling softly herself. "Let's go home…" After several seconds, she managed to heave her sobbing sister to her feet and wrapped an arm around her waist, supporting her as she led the hysterical woman to the door. Riku politely opened the door for two woman from the other side and seeing the weeping Kira, quietly gave her condolences despite not being aware of what had occurred and winced when Kira's loud crying could still be heard even as they disappeared down the stairwell.

"Riku." The blonde quickly directed her attention to her superior who was hunched over in his chair, fishing out something from one of the drawers of his desk. "I have a letter I need you to copy and deliver." He said, producing a folded paper that he pushed across his desk towards her.

Riku retrieved the paper, not reading its contents. "Very well, Tsuchikage-sama. Who is the letter being address to and how many copies should I make?"

"It will be addressed to every Iwagakure shinobi that is currently or not currently involved in the war so at least one thousand copies?"

"O-One thousand copies!?" The woman shuttered, the letter slipping from her hands and onto the floor. "That will take days to produce and distribute, sir!"

"I need this letter out as soon as possible, Riku." Ōnoki replied, swiveling in his chair to face the massive window overseeing the village, standing up to push away the drapes to discover the rain had thinned into a sprinkle. He stared hard at his own reflection. "I am bringing this war against Konohagakure to an end, now."

…

An investigation into the Old Kusagakure Massacre, as it was labeled, was launched. However, after only a few weeks, it was abruptly shelved when the Iwagakure forces stationed were ordered to march to Konohagakure in one final surge, abandoning Kusagakure as a stronghold in the progress. No evidence was ever recovered explaining the events of that day and several rumours circulated around Iwagakure, one that told that Captain Katsu had killed himself and troop on purpose while another spoke of a superweapon that Konohagakure had conceived that wiped the army out. The event eventually became a ghost story and for years people hypnotized what had truly taken place on that day. Only one item had ever been recovered from the explosion but it had been deemed unimportant to the investigation and scrapped.

A burnt Rafflesia flower.

…

**AN:**_ Holy crap finally. I hate only updating once a month but I had no choice in the matter as last month I had summer school and I would have finished this chapter after it concluded, but then I got sick for a week. But here it is, my lonest chapter yet. I'm glad I don't have to write a fight scene again. At least for a few chapters. Sorry for the lack of beta. R&amp;R please, it's greatly appreciated and encourages faster writing if nothing else comes up. _

_Next chapter: The focus returns to Kiyoshi and the aftermath of the field test with 001. _

_Note: Some prior chapters have been edited and tweaked so please review those when you can or like. Thank you. _


	9. Arc 1: Chapter 8

**AN:**_ Here is the next chapter, mostly exposition again and OC based so please bear because its plot vital. A few more chapters and you won't have to read about these OCs again…or will you? You will but not for a very, very, very long time. At least fifty chapters so rejoice. _

_Also due to a comment, I have redone and posted chapter 7 to better explain my thinking when writing Kakuzu in that chapter due to how poorly written it was. From now on, I will write an author's note before chapters if the chapter contains something that might raise eyebrows to avoid confusion. There will be things in this story which have been tweaked outside the canon so warning for the future. If you are loyal to the canon then I suggest abandoning ship now, or you should have already on the first chapter. This story is purely fun and meant to entertain. _

_With that said, yes, Zetsu is FEMALE in this story. Why? Multiple reasons. Simple reason, I like genderbend and this story is uncanon, as you obviously see and will see. There will be romance in this story and I no longer write yaoi, sorry. Also, I actually really like Zetsu's backstory and did not want to temper with it, so basically this Zetsu is an alternate in background and gender. If this bothers you then leave, because I will not tolerate flames for writing what I want in my story because you don't like it. _

_Also I wish to thank the people which have favourited and alerted this story. It encourages me to continue writing this questionable story. Thank you. _

**Warning(s):****Genderbend, OCs, Implied Gore**

…

**Wasteland:**

**Act 1:**

**Chapter 8**

"There we go." Ayana whispered to herself as she tucked K-MF-084 back into her hospital bed after her daily session of Mayfly-suppression chemo. The girl was pale and trembling, having endured a severe spell of vomiting and Ayana withdrew a tissue from her pocket, using it to dab away the beads of sweat on Experiment 084's forehead and the clear fluid crusted on the corners of her mouth. The girl hugged her tattered teddy bear, emitting a low whine and Ayana sighed, heart aching at the sight of the suffering girl. _'At least there was no testing scheduled this week.'_ She thought as she stroked the girl's sunken cheek.

"Go to sleep, you have nothing else today." Ayana told the girl gently and 084's eyes began to droop with the welcomed clearance. Suddenly, just as soon as they closed, her large, honeycomb eyes reopened and widened, her lips stretching into a sharp-toothed grin. Ayana blinked at the girl's abrupt perkiness and followed her sight over her shoulder, gasping at the surprising sight.

"Kiyoshi-kun?" She remarked, standing to her feet as the blonde doctor approached her. "You're not due back until tomorrow!"

"I came back early, I was too worried." Kiyoshi explained to his friend, gently nudging past her to crouch at 084's bedside, cradling the girl's smiling face. "How are you, Zetsu?" He whispered, keeping his voice low so one of the other nurses currently tending the children in the infirmary ward did not overhear. Referring to an experiment by their name was strictly frowned upon.

"She had a vomiting spell this morning," Ayana answered honestly despite the girl's optimistic nodding to please her favourite person. "But, there was no testing this week."

Kiyoshi nodded. "Good." He petted the teenager's head, ignoring the layer of grease that coated his fingers from her matted, green locks. He would have to speak to Tarou about permitting the girl a real bath instead of merely sponging her down. "You're so brave, Zetsu." The girl's crooked grin only widened at the comment and it made Kiyoshi's heart soar and also clench. This girl was nothing but a patient of his, an experiment, but he saw her as special to him as his own daughter. It struck him with guilt, as he had spent the past week with his daughter yet his thoughts were solely on K-MF-084 the whole time which had spurred his early return. Now that he had seen the girl was indeed fine, perhaps he could sneak back home unnoticed and before his wife and daughter awoke to discover him missing.

However, his thoughts were shattered when an unexpected earthquake thrashed the laboratory and Kiyoshi and Ayana and the other nurses occupying the wing were thrown to the ground. The children screamed, diving beneath their covers as the ward trembled and the lights were shortly knocked out, submerging the clinic in pitch blackness occupied by the dying whine of the medical equipment as they powered down and the crashing of containers striking the ground. The quaking resumed for several seconds before it thinned then ceased completely. A moment later, the backup generators activated as the lights flickered back on and the equipment whirled back to life, revealing the ward was in tatters as glass and medical supplied littered the ground.

Kiyoshi stood, helping Ayana back to her feet and dusting off the debris from the ceiling from her coat and hair. Once he ensured her wellness, he hurried to 084's bedside and riffled through the blankets where she had barricaded herself beneath, discovering the teenager cowering and clenching her bear.

"Zetsu, it's alright sweetheart." Kiyoshi cooed as he coaxed the shaking girl out of her hiding hole, hugging her against his chest and stoking her back. The other nurses recovered from their tumble and quickly pursued the chore of comforting the startled children in matters not so gently as Kiyoshi which involved scolding and harsh hushing.

"What was that?" Ayana gasped, glancing around the trashed clinic. "An earthquake? In Kusagakure?"

Kiyoshi shook his head, blonde curls coiling themselves around the frame of his glasses. "I don't know."

After the children were calmed and secured back in their beds, the nurses made haste of leaving the ward while Ayana and Kiyoshi stayed back. Kiyoshi had managed to soothe 084 also, tucking her back in bed and checking that her numerous IVs and feeding tube had not been dislodged during the earthquake before turning to Ayana. "Wasn't 001's field test today?"

"Yes it was," Ayana said before realizing what Kiyoshi had actually asked and gasped. "You don't think…that was Iwagakure?"

Kiyoshi shook his head, gazing at 084 who was in the process of falling asleep and tugged the blankets higher so they also covered the purple bear clenched in her arms. "K-MF-001 could not survive such an explosion so I hope not." He said, biting down on his bottom lip._ 'But, I also do.' _

…

Meanwhile in the meeting room on the opposite side of the laboratory, Ryouta climbed from the floor, the earthquake having knocked him directly out of his seat and he rubbed his head, checking his hand for any blood from the collision between his head and the ground. He stood, discovering Tarou still sitting on the opposite side of the long conference table and calmly sipping his coffee, the intense shaking having no effect on his obese frame except for some unattractive jiggling.

"It would appear Iwagakure is fighting back," Tarou remarked, shoving an entire half of wheat toast into his mouth and chewing noisily. "K-MF-001 must be giving them quite the scare."

"They better not harm him. K-MF-001 is worth more than their pitiful lives." Ryouta commented as he returned to his chair, straightening his silk tie and smoothing out the wrinkles to his black suit. It was a special occasion today and he had dressed to impress for his video conference call with the Council after K-MF-001's field test concluded. He had never spoken personally with the Council before and wanted to look good when they called to praise his work.

"K-MF-001 has been weaponized specially for the elimination of entire armies. The worse they can do is give him a headache to nurse in the morning." Tarou said, slurping down the rest of his hot coffee. "Relax Ryouta. Such a worrywart, you are. Have a cup."

Ryouta accepted his superior's nugget of advice as he left the conference room to retrieve a cup of coffee only to discover the earthquake had totaled the kitchen and destroyed the coffee pot in the process, as apparent by the horde of flustered scientists and doctors cleaning the mess. Instead, he decided on a soda, stepping over the rubble and his coworkers to the tipped fridge and retrieving a can from within before maneuvering to the exit and back to the meeting room. He sat back down and popped the coke, sipping on it and allowing the caffeine to distract his anxious brain with a sugar rush while he and Tarou awaited for K-MF-001 to report back.

However, after an hour, the anxiety reared its ugly head again when K-MF-001 had yet to return and there were no farther evidence of fighting topside. His unease was only made worse when Tarou unsheathed Kaiya, his beloved repeating crossbow from his hip and began to polish its golden handle with his shirt while humming a happy tune.

"Ryouta, is the tracking device in K-MF-001 active?" Tarou questioned, making Ryouta flinch and as a result, spill the remainder of his soda onto the table.

"Y-Yes." The black-haired man replied, quickly backing up his seat to avoid the river of soda that cascaded off the side of the table towards him and got up search for something to clean the mess. "Yes it is. So long as K-MF-001 is within a five mile radius of the laboratory."

"Is his shut off switch automatic or manual?"

"Manual. To avoid incident I had installed it in Toshi's office." Ryouta explained, finding a random assortment of paperwork in the trash bin and used it to sop up the coke.

Tarou nodded, admiring his own golden reflection with a grin. "Why don't you head up there and track K-MF-001? We don't need him wandering off and eating some poor soul." Ryouta accepted the suggestion as he left the conference room and speed walked his way down the corridor towards Toshi's office, eager to locate K-MF-001 before he hurt himself or escaped.

Toshi was the laboratory's lone security guard and his "office" was just a polite term used to refer to the cramped, closet-sized security office he worked within. The office lacked a door, being no room for it, and Ryouta popped his head in, discovering the overweight officer staring blankly at the stacks of monitors that displayed various parts of the lab while eating from a baker's dozen box of chocolate donuts on his lap.

"Toshi." Ryouta hissed and Toshi jumped, dropping the donut he had been munching on and made a subconscious grab for the stun rob strapped to his side before realizing who had addressed him.

"Ryouta-sama, you scared me!" Toshi scolded, removing his hand from his weapon as he hunched over to retrieve his discarded treat from the floor, dusting it off before shoving it into his mouth. "Haw ca I hep hoo?"

"K-MF-001 hasn't returned yet. I need to activate his tracking device." Before Toshi could reply, Ryouta was shoving past him, squeezing into the few inches between the hefty man and the panel controlling the cameras scattered along the laboratory towards the wall where a separate monitor and keyboard were located.

Ryouta scanned his identification card through the card reader installed on the panel and the vector monitor booted up, displaying a green, blocky text that read 'Loading' for several seconds before another text replaced it that said 'Password'. Ryouta typed in his password, glaring at Toshi so the obese man didn't take an unwanted peek and the screen flickered, a horizontal white line rolling down the screen as it slowly loaded random shapes to represent Kusagakure with a solid white square for the hospital. Once the map loaded, the white line distorted into a circle as a sonar was emitted across the digital Kusagakure, searching for K-MF-001 tracking device. A minute and a few pulses later, the radar had yet to locate 001 and Ryouta felt his stomach sour.

"No, no, no!" Ryouta whispered, grasping the boxed monitor. "Where is he? Did he escape Kusagakure? No…no!"

"There he is." Toshi injected suddenly.

"What?"

"There." The security guard pressed a chocolate coated finger against the screen, pointing out a flashing dot that had been hiding behind the hospital illustration the entire time.

Ryouta eyebrows knitted as he peered closer. "What? That's the emergency elevator. Has he been there the entire time? What is he-?" However, he was interrupted as the monitor overseeing the emergency elevator in the infirmary wing began to flash with bold, red text that read 'Warning'.

"Emergency elevator in use. Emergency elevator in use." A feminine voice announced through speakers of the screen, repeating the phrase until Toshi silenced it by jabbing his thumb on a random button.

"About time he figure how to press a button." Ryouta huffed as he reached for the microphone that was connected to the intercom system of the entire laboratory. "Attention, I need the retrieval until for K-MF-001 to prepare and report to the emergency elevator in the Infirmity Wing, immediately. K-MF-001's retrieval until to the emergency elevator in the Infirmary Wing immediately."

Ryouta concluded the announcement and scooted back past Toshi towards the door. "Toshi, I need you to press that red button on the panel before you unlock the elevator. It will activate the shut off switch for K-MF-001 and enable us to safely transport him back to his vault." Toshi glanced around before discovering the obvious, big red button and nodded, swallowing down another whole donut. "Do not press it until the retrieval unit and I are on scene and do not open the elevator until you shut down K-MF-001 and do not press the button more than once. The shut off switch in K-MF-001's head renders him unconscious by shocking specific sections of his brain. Pressing that button more than once might severely damage his brain or potentially kill him. Do you understand?" Toshi nodded again, suppling a chocolate smeared thumbs up and Ryouta finally left to depart towards the emergency elevator.

Within a minute or two, he entered the infirmity wing and jogged towards the emergency elevator that sat at the end of the stunted hallway, his footfalls echoing on the metal walkway. The red warning lights installed above the elevator were flashing and spinning, bathing the dim hall in an ominous light and making the atmosphere feel significantly creepier as Ryouta stood there alone and waiting for the others to show up. After several minutes, two of the makeshift members of the retrieval unit arrived, another scientist wheeling a dolly and a nurse wielding a frighteningly large syringe with a seductive for the possible chance the off switch in K-MF-001 malfunctioned. Seconds behind them were two male doctors, one carrying the proper chaining and iron mask to bind the unstable experiment while the other had another uncomfortably sized syringe for the even less possible chance that the off switch did not work, nor did the first injection of drugs. Originally, there had been six members of this slapped together retrieval unit, but when they had been loading K-MF-001 into the elevator to transport him to the surface, his seductive had worn off and in the few seconds he was freed, he managed to amputate the arm of one member and strike another so hard they were sent to the hospital with bleeding of the brain. It was why Ryouta chose not to take any chances this time around and activate his shut off switch for safer loading and unloading.

Once everyone was gathered, Ryouta looked up at the camera staring at them and waved his hand towards the elevator, signaling Toshi. There were no cameras in the emergency elevator so Ryouta had to trust Toshi has pressed the button as told, and said button had worked, when moments later, the blaring lights stopped and turned green before the doors began to slowly chug open. The team of various members of the laboratory tensed, prepared to risk their lives to wrangle the abomination into submission while Ryouta held his breath, the seconds ticking by like hours until the doors fully opened. When they finally did, however, the held breath was released into a gasp with everyone else present gasping as well and single female nurse screaming when K-MF-001 stepped out, or at least, what remained of the experiment.

The man was nearly unrecognizable as his pale complex was now a charred black and no longer resembled a human being but rather a burnt slab of meat and protruding bone. The experiment took another step forward, his mangled leg breaking off completely and he tittered for a couple of seconds before his sole remaining lacerated eye rolled back into his exposed skull and with a bloody gurgle, he topped to the ground, splashing the hall with hot blood and a spray of melted flesh. The nurse fainted and the two doctors dropped everything to flee to the nearest wastebasket and vomit.

"No!" Ryouta yelled, instantly rushing to the side of his cherished experiment, ignoring the putrid stench of burnt flesh and blood that emitted from his body. "No! Those bastards! My work! My work!"

Kiyoshi and Ayana had been casually chatting in the ward when the lights to the emergency elevator switched on and they overheard the announcement by Ryouta, followed shortly by Ryouta himself and the gathering of the 'retrieval unit' outside. The two stepped out into the hallway to perceive the event when the elevator doors opened and K-MF-001 fell out, dead. Ayana gasped, covering her mouth and burying her face against her friend's shoulder to block out the gruesome sight while on the other hand, Kiyoshi sighed and shook his head. His reaction was mixed, internal horror was tinted with unspoken relief with the experiment's overdue passing.

'_Finally…' _Kiyoshi bowed his head and hugged Ayana, muttering a small pray beneath his breath for the departed man. '_May you rest in peace with your daughter, Itsuki.' _

"Ryouta, what has happened?"

Kiyoshi flinched from the voice and looked behind to see Tarou, the man strangely lightfooted for someone of his immense size and had not been heard entering. Ryouta straightened up, adjusting his tie with shaking hands as he glanced between his boss and failed experiment. Suddenly, he had the funny feeling he wouldn't be attending that video conference with the Council, or had a job any long for that matter.

"Tarou-sama…Iwagakure, t-they killed K-MF-001!" Ryouta stuttered through his quivering jaw, mind scrambling for something to say that might convince his superior to preserve his job and skin. Unfortunately, saying he could fix it was not an option.

"Oh, well that's a pity, considering how much you reinsured me about K-MF-001's capabilities, Ryouta." Tarou said, though such pity was not present in his voice. It made a shiver course up Kiyoshi's spine and he clasped Ayana closer out of unconscious protectiveness. He had witnessed Tarou's temper in the past. The man was like that of a volcano, docile and nonthreatening when undisturbed but when the internal pressure became overwhelming he would erupt, and when he did, it was violent. Ryouta swallowed thickly at the man's unusual calmness regarding the current situation considering their entire project may now be jeopardized with K-MF-001's death. "And I guess there is no saving him?"

Ryouta shook his head. There weren't enough pieces of his left to save. Tarou sniffed and audibly cracked his jaw, making everyone present flinch from the quiet sound due to the tense atmosphere smothering them and carefully eye Tarou's hand for any movement towards his sheathed crossbow buckled at his hip. "A pity, but even dead, K-MF-001 is far too valuable to just toss out. His body will be stored in the morgue to preserve what is left of him. Ken."

The one remaining scientist that had been awkwardly standing about jumped at the mention of his name, nervously facing his boss. "Retrieve the gurney and take K-MF-001 to the morgue, would you kindly?" The man, Ken, nodded and scurried off to do such, nearly tripping over the still unconscious nurse on the floor.

The man returned with said gurney and Ryouta assisted in heaving K-MF-001 onto it, gagging at the smell that wafted from his corpse and the jelly-like texture of his skin, making a mental note to wash his hands with bleach later. Once secured, the two men wheeled him away, swerving around the unconscious woman. After they had left, Tarou sighed and adjusted his tie, judging how he would break such devastating news to the Council when he noticed Kiyoshi and Ayana who had been quietly viewing the entire time.

"Ah, Kiyoshi, you're back. Was your break refreshing?" Tarou asked nicely, eyes curving into friendly half-moons yet it still unsettled the other man.

Kiyoshi nodded. "Yes it was." He said, though it was a half-truth. It had been until now.

Tarou grinned, his teeth an unsightly shade of yellow. "Well you returned at the perfect time. With K-MF-001 defunct, we can begin optimizing K-MF-084 to replace him immediately. Hopefully the Council forgives this blunder." With that said, Tarou walked off to speak with Ryouta and discuss how they would explain their failure to the Council, or more precisely, Ryouta's failure.

Kiyoshi's stomach plummeted to his toes and Ayana, noticing the white sheen that bleached his face, instantly guided him back into the ward in case he vomited or even fainted. Kiyoshi sat back down beside K-MF-084's bedside, the girl fast asleep and blissfully unaware of the events which had just occurred outside and her possible future. Ayana brought Kiyoshi a cup of water and he sipped it, his stomach rejecting the harmless liquid and he handed it back to her, cheeks tinted green.

"Kiyoshi-kun, it will be fine." Ayana reinsured him, rubbing his shoulder as she crouched alongside him. "It is impossible for the Council to approve of optimizing 084 after 001's failure. It took years for us to perfect 001 and even that wasn't enough."

Kiyoshi removed his eyeglasses and pressed his fingers against his eyes, trying will away the pure fear that terrorized him following Tarou's words with optimism. "You are right. The most they may approve of is the original plan to activate 084's Mayfly and use her as a mole." He told himself, but his own words rang hollow to him as there was the real chance they may decide to scrap their original motivations for instant results. K-MF-084 already possessed an unstable strain of the Mayfly, and it would not take much to mutate her into the abomination that K-MF-001 had been.

"084 shall be fine, Kiyoshi-kun." Ayana embraced her companion and Kiyoshi returned the gesture with half the heart.

'_Lord, I hope so.' _Kiyoshi thought as he watched K-MF-084's slumbering face. Otherwise, he would do everything in his power to protect her.

…

**AN:** _Chapter 8 finished. Sorry for all the OCs. Just give me two more chapters then you never have to see them again…for awhile. Just bear with me, please. _

_Also thank you everyone again for alerting and favouring. I'm not sure if the sudden increase in interest is a good thing or a bad thing. If it's a bad thing then please tell me. I'd rather not be a laughingstock for writing something I genuinely care about because it's too different from the norm. If it's good then I'm glad people are curious about this unusual, oddity of a story. Trust me, this won't be the last of the eyebrow raising tales I shall tell. _

_Anyways, please excuse the lack of BETA and please review. But good or constructive reviews if you do. I will not tolerate flames. _


	10. Arc 1: Chapter 9

**AN:** _Chapter 9, more OCs, more plot vital dialogue and events. Just two more chapters and these OCs are outta everyone's life and it will be to the Akatsuki. _

**Gremlin Jack: **The scene was a reference to Breaking Bad. I know that explosion would have desecrated him into nothing but I couldn't pass up the reference. It was purely for fun and probably won't be the last time I bend logic for a laugh. Sorry.

**Cat Beats**: Thanks. Glad to know he's a little bit tolerable since I'm absolutely rubbish at writing OCs. Also, I can't say specifically what shall happen to him, but I will say the next few chapters will not be kind to him.

**Guest: **I'm sorry, I did not realize that I was dragging things out. I just write what I consider important in the chapter. To answer your question, all I can say she will not be introduced willingly on either side.

_Thank you for your reviews. I attempt to keep as open-minded as possible and not too butthurt when someone says something that I don't agree with. In the future, don't be afraid to ask something or give constructive criticism but do not flame because it won't help either of us. _

_Please excuse lack of BETA and enjoy. _

**Warning(s): OCs, Language**

…

**Wasteland**

**Act 1:**

**Chapter 9**

"_**This failure is inexcusable, Tarou. You spent the last several months reinsuring us that K-MF-001 could eliminate the Iwagakure army occupying Kusagakure and you did not fulfil that promise."**_A woman's voice scolded Tarou through the speakers of a tiny monitor he and Ryouta were currently seated before.

Ryouta sighed and plopped his chin in his hand, staring at the flickering screen. The video conference with the Council, as Tarou had hyped him up about, turned to be nothing more than a television displaying static and emitting the voices of the Council members. He had spent the night ironing his best suit and reciting his forgiveness speech and improv for nothing.

"I promised you he could eliminate the Iwagakure army squatting in Old Kusagakure if you approved the field test, which he accomplished. Just in exchange of his own life." Tarou explained smoothly, adjusting himself in his seat. "That is why I am asking for your approval of K-MF-084. She can finish 001's handiwork with Iwagakure. She possesses the same strain of Mayfly as K-MF-001 and is the perfect candidate to replace him."

"_**Absolutely not." **_A man now spoke up._**"The purpose for K-MF-084 is specific to our intentions and her Mayfly shall not be tampered with. Due to K-MF-001's field test, Iwagakure is on the offensive and we do not have the time or resources to concentrate into shaping 084 into another 001."**_

"It would only take a month, at the most to weaponize her." Tarou insisted, scrambling for anything that sounded convincing. He wished Kiyoshi was here to vouch for him, but the man had fled home moments after their discussion yesterday and Tarou hadn't had the chance to inform him of the delayed meeting the next morning. Not that the man might be of much help anyway, he avoided speaking about K-MF-084 like the plague. "Just one month."

"_**No Tarou."**_ Another male voice said and Tarou recognized it as the man as the employer of the shinobi he had purposely fed to K-MF-001. He still could not recall his organization's name. Branch, Twig…Trunk? _**"Our time and money is too limited to trust your promises again. Those men you sacrificed for one of your test runs cost me more than your little pet, each. Your authority over the Mayfly project has been revoked and funding has been cancelled. We are handing this project to another person and the project is be relocated." **_Tarou twitched and Ryouta heard his knuckles cracking over the noisy static followed by a sudden acceleration of temperature in the room that made him tug at his collar to relieve the heat that had struck him.

"I've worked on this project for nearly a decade…I have given you both 001 and 084. You simply can't replace me…"

"_**We just did, Tarou. The project shall be handled by a person whom has decades of trust with us." **_The female Council member retorted.

"And…who might that be?" Tarou asked, voice strained and Ryouta glanced at the door, debating if he should stay for the inevitable Mt. Tarou explosion.

"_**You shall meet him," **_The Branch, Twig, Trunk leader paused, clearing his throat. "_**Ahem…her, personally in a few days. She will be escorted to Kusagakure by my men to pick up K-MF-084 and all paperwork regarding her and the entire Mayfly project. Until then, you are not to tamper with K-MF-084. That is final. Goodbye Tarou." **_With that, the screen went black and an uncomfortable silence settled through the conference room.

After several tense seconds, Ryouta glanced at Tarou to find the man shaking, biting his bottom lip and his fat hand curled into a fist with knuckles bleach white. Immediately, the scientist chose to leave before he became subject of Tarou's rage over the Council's rejection and stood to quietly tiptoe out.

"Ryouta." Tarou sang.

Ryouta froze in the doorway, gazing back at Tarou to discover the man was polishing his crossbow once again to curb his anger, fingers quivering as he did and jaw clenched. Ryouta swallowed. "Yes, Tarou-sama?"

"Do you not have a spare tracking device from K-MF-001?"

"Yes…yes I do. It was for the chance his ever malfunctioned."

Tarou lifted his weapon, its golden sheen shining wickedly in the light. "And it is equipped with the emergency shut off?"

"Yes." Ryouta answered, admittedly unsure as to where his boss was taking this conversation.

"I want you to equip K-MF-084 with the device immediately." Tarou finally revealed, standing from his groaning seat and sheathing his bow, patting it through his dress shirt.

"Might I ask why? I see no reason why K-MF-084 would require a tracking device if she will be transferred in a matter of days…"

"Just fucking do it, Ryouta. By next week, all our jobs might be obsolete so I suggest you earn your last damned paycheck until then!" Tarou barked, making Ryouta jump back a few inches, expecting to be shot following the outburst. The black haired man nodded and groped from the doorknob when Tarou interrupted him again. "And Ryouta? Secure K-MF-084 in K-MF-001's vault after the procedure. After I announce the Mayfly project will be changing hands, including 084, I am positive Kiyoshi might attempt something. He has become very attracted to her and will not take kindly to her departure." Ryouta nodded and once Tarou waved him off, he stole the chance to separate himself from the man as quickly as possible as he began gathering his team for the abrupt surgery.

…

That morning, Kiyoshi felt like death but he forced himself to report to work and walked to the infirmity ward to check on Ayana and K-MF-084.

Yesterday, Kiyoshi had entrusted 084's wellbeing with Ayana again while he briefly ran home to check on his family after the earthquake. When he arrived, he found his house in shambles and his wife and kid outside, soaked to the bone and horribly shaken. The earthquake had dislodged a massive slab of foundation from the academy they neighboured and it had crashed directly through their roof. Thankfully, it had landed in the kitchen and did not harm to either of them as they had been sleeping soundly in their bedrooms.

His daughter, Miku, had fled into his arms, crying, and Kiyoshi asked his Sayuri if she was alright. He expected a yes or no, he did not expect his wife to explode into a fit of screaming. In began with his workload, migrating into his lack of contact with his own daughter and wife, despite spending the past week with them both, then it accelerated into accusations of him cheating and that he was sneaking away from his own family to sleep around with Ayana. It had severely startled Kiyoshi and he struggled to explain his absence was not about Ayana but a girl he was currently caring for that was sick and had left to check on her. Sayuri ignored it and wrenched a sniveling Miku from his arms, declaring she was leaving for her parents' home in the Land of Fire until their home was repaired and when she returned, she expected their home to be fixed and Kiyoshi to shape up or their marriage was over.

Kiyoshi fought with her the entire way through the house as she packed a suitcase with Miku crying on his leg. It did little to deter her and after packing a bag for both her and their daughter, she yanked Miku along and left out the door without a word. He had chased her outside but soon lost her in all the commotion between the Kusagakure residents migrating towards Old Kusagakure and the Iwagakure shinobi rushing to rope off the area so they could investigate the source of the explosion. Defeated, he walked back into his demolished home and spent the rest of the day crashed on the couch and staring out the gaping hole in his roof while listening to the shouting outside. He hadn't slept a wink that night.

His entire life was coming apart at the seams. First, there was the possibly K-MF-084 would be approved by the Council and mutated into another 001. Now, his wife was convinced he was having an affair with Ayana and threatening divorce and had dragged his own daughter away from him. He questioned if his life could worsen at this point.

"Kiyoshi-kun!" Suddenly came Ayana's scream over his thoughts. He glanced up from his feet to discover Ryouta and his team exiting the infirmity, shoving a gurney through the door with a horrified Ayana hot on their heels. On the gurney, was a cowering K-MF-084. His worse fear had become a reality.

"Hey! Stop! Wait!" Kiyoshi yelled as he cut off Ryouta, holding his hands out. He hadn't approved of any surgeries today. "What is happening? The Council…t-they approved?" Before Ryouta could explain they were simply outfitting the girl with a tracking chip under Tarou's command, said man approached from behind, face outfitted with a smile despite his inner turmoil raging on with the Council's decision.

"No, they did not. You can rest easy, Kiyoshi." Regardless hearing exactly what he wanted to hear, Kiyoshi did not rest easy because he did not trust Tarou and knew he was hiding something behind that fake smile. Those mistrusts were proven true when his superior noticed his intent stare and knew he had not fallen for his truthful lie, releasing a defeated sigh. "The Council is cancelling my control over the Mayfly project and K-MF-084 is being transferred." Ayana gasped at the news, covering her mouth and Kiyoshi could hear his crumbling world finally shatter into a million pieces.

"T-Transferred? Where? Where!?" Kiyoshi demanded, turning towards Tarou instead and grabbing his silk shirt causing the man's faux smile dropped from his flabby face. Ryouta stepped back from the range of the incoming eruption. "How could yo-?"

The words shortly died in Kiyoshi's throat as something cold and sharp poked his forehead. Everyone gasped, backing away and Ayana screamed his name, rushing forward but Ryouta caught her and wrestled her into his arms so she did not get herself potentially shot also. Kiyoshi peered over the thick rim of his glasses and saw the barrel of Tarou's hand-sized crossbow aimed at his head, the gleaming tip of cocked arrow digging into his skin and blood bubbling from the contact.

"Listen here, Kiyoshi." Tarou began, voice low and void of any of his usual cheerful tone as he stroked the trigger. Kiyoshi swallowed thickly, his heart caught in his throat. "You've brought this all on yourself. You should have known better than to become attached to a lab rat. K-MF-084 is being handed over, whether you want that or not. Do you have any objections to this?" Kiyoshi said nothing, tongue too numb to speak and Tarou smiled again, removing the bloodthirsty weapon from the man's sweaty forehead but kept it posed at him. "Perfect. Now then, the new overseer of the Mayfly project shall be here in a few days and until then, K-MF-084 will be contained in 001's vault for safekeeping. I suggest you begin gathering all your paperwork to hand over and prepare your farewell."

Tarou gestured the medical team through and Ryouta released Ayana, the woman instantly running into Kiyoshi's arms and embracing the trembling man, shaking herself. Ryouta led his team towards the surgical bay, sparing Kiyoshi a remorseful look. K-MF-084 was wheeled past and the frightened teenager reached out to Kiyoshi, the doctor grasping her thin hand before it was cruelly yanked away. Her gifted bear bounced off the gurney to the ground which none of the doctors paid mind as they carelessly trampled it before Kiyoshi could rescue it. The blonde squeezed the plush against his chest as he watched K-MF-084 vanish around the corner, his heart aching and tears stinging his eyes. Ayana gently nudged the man into the dark infirmity ward and sat him down in the chair beside K-MF-084's empty bedside before searching around for a small enough bandage for the cut on his forehead.

"How could this have happened?" Kiyoshi whispered, mindful of the children currently sleeping in the clinic. "Everything…everything I've ever had is gone. I…I have to do something. I can't let them take away K-MF-084."

"What can you do, Kiyoshi-kun?" Ayana asked as she returned with the required med, applying a droplet of antibiotic to the cut before pressing the bandage over it, careful not to glue his hair also.

"Run away. If I can somehow rescue K-MF-084, we can run away. All of us."

Ayana quirked a dark eyebrow at the broad plural use. "All of us?"

"You, I and 084. We'll all run away. My parents own a ranch in Sunagakure so we can retreat there. We can raise 084, give her the life she deserves."

Ayana gasped at the implication. "Kiyoshi-kun, what about your family? You can't just leave them behind!" She scolded, though was admittedly faltered that Kiyoshi wanted her to join him.

Kiyoshi bit his lip, the reminder of his current plight concerning his wife and daughter distressing him further. He hugged the abused bear against his chest, trying to shift himself into the mindset of a child and draw superficial comfort from the simple toy. "My wife is staying with her parents with Miku. She's threatening divorce."

Ayana gasped again, blue eyes widening at the unfathomable news. "D-Divorce? But you two seemed so happy when we last had dinner. It was two years ago, but I can't imagine why Sayuri would purpose such a thing?"

"She thinks I am having an affair with you." Kiyoshi answered quietly, twisting his golden wedding ring on his finger. It felt a thousand times heavier now and like his finger would break off.

"An affair? Between us?" Ayana remarked, voice spiking and one of the children rolled over in their bed, coughing before falling silent again. "Oh, Kiyoshi-kun. I never…I am so sorry. I'm sorry I could ever make Sayuri think such a thing. This is my fault."

"No!" Kiyoshi barked, thrusting forward from his seat and grasping Ayana's hands, holding them against his chest as he stared into her matching orbs, making the woman helplessly blush. "None of this is your fault, Ayana-chan. My marriage was doomed the moment the government overtook the Mayfly project. That isn't important right now. Right now, we need to concentrate on 084 and how we can rescue her before she is retrieved in only a few days."

"But what can we do, Kiyoshi-kun? Tarou has 084 contained in 001's vault. Neither of us has access."

Kiyoshi sighed, releasing his friend's hands as he stroked his hands through his unruly curls. "I don't know…I would need a pass card but there are only four and I can't ask anyone for theirs. I would have to steal it…I don't know!" Kiyoshi picked up the bear again and buried his face into its thinning fur. "I failed 001…I won't fail 084 too."

Ayana comforted the man with a tight hug. "You'll think of something, Kiyoshi-kun. You won't fail her, you never have. You have a few days. That should be enough time."

"I hope so…" Kiyoshi whispered, embracing her back and staring woefully at the sad bear hanging from his hand.

…

The surgery to insert the tracking device in K-MF-084 took only a few hours. Afterward, she was taken to the basement level of the laboratory and wheeled to the vault that had formerly contained K-MF-001. Ryouta followed behind his team, behind him was Tarou, smile stitched back to his face though Ryouta was unsure if his rage was still boiling so he kept his safe distance.

The vault was a brightly lit six by six foot room made of pure steel walls with matching floor and ceiling that prevented escape by use of Mayfly. There was no bed, instead a metal slab protruding from the wall was used to sleep on without the comfort of a pillow or blanketing after K-MF-001 had devoured them in a hunger-induced rampage and never been replaced. The doctors carried the unconscious K-MF-084 inside and set her on the bench before walking out and shoving the heavy vault door closed. Ryouta scanned his clearance card and the thick, cylinder locks slammed into their sockets one after another, successfully locking K-MF-084 within and anyone out.

Their required labour complete, Ryouta dismissed his unit and the doctors left, Tarou sparing them a smile which made them hurry down the hallway even faster. Ryouta stepped by to leave also but paused beside Tarou, something bothering him.

"Tarou-sama, if I may?"

"You may, Ryouta." Tarou granted.

"Why did you request K-MF-084 is be outfitted with a tracking device?"

Tarou's smile widened, becoming not so innocent any longer as his true colours began to shine through. "Wouldn't be a shame if when they came to retrieve K-MF-084 and when they were leaving the village, she just suddenly…died?" With that said, Tarou turned and left, smile intact and Ryouta felt a shiver roll down his spine.

Tarou's lack of sympathy for human life was frightening once he had been crossed. No one was safe, not even a child.

**...**

**AN: **_Chapter 9 is finished and posted. Again, sorry about the lack of BETA. Just one more OC centric chapter then Kakuzu will be back and after that, no more OCs, just Akatsuki. Sorry it took so long for this background to be told. In the future, after I have long finished this story, I will edit it to cluster these chapters together.__ Also, I constantly post the progress of the chapters on my page so you'll know how far I am. I'm aiming a week for a chapter minimum. _

_Thank you for reading. _


	11. Arc 1: Chapter 10

**AN:**_ Chapter 10 is finally completed. I apologize for the wait. This chapter was originally was supposed to be two chapters due to its length but I decided to combined them so it get through this arc faster since after this, there is only one more chapter then the focus will be entirely on the Akatsuki. Due to the size of this chapter, I have probably missed a lot of errors or made things too drawn out and I apologize again but as of now, please excuse it since I don't have another set of eyes to read it over for me. That also goes for any mistakes. If you notice anything I should chance to improve the story then inform me through message and I shall edit it in. For now, here is the chapter and hopefully enjoy. _

**Warning(s):**** Violence/Gore, Genderbend, Language **

…

**Wasteland**

**Act 1:**

**Chapter 10**

The next few days before K-MF-084 was set to be picked up, were the longest days Kiyoshi had ever had to endure in his life. He didn't sleep and ate little as his mind was split between her and his family, mainly 084. Kiyoshi distracted his distraught mind with memories of when he had met 084. It had been sever years ago when he and another doctor had gone to the village orphanage to obtain children for the Mayfly project. They wielded a false tale about another Hidden Village offering to shelter a small percentage of the orphans and they were going to evaluate them to ensure their health before handing them over. The sisters that owned the orphanage were more than happy to give the children over, their resources and finances stretched thin with the increase of children orphaned due to the wars. After Kiyoshi and the doctor obtained an acceptable group, they were about to depart when another sister ran after them, a child at her hip with a head of moss and honeycomb eyes.

The girl was tiny, smaller than other children her age, and very sickly as her skin was unhealthily pale and covered her bones like a white sheet. The sister told Kiyoshi about the girl, named Zetsu, about how she had been abandoned at their front doorstep as an infant and her lifelong battle with an unknown stomach illness. It prevented her from digesting food and upon consumption, would immediately regurgitate it so her diet only consisted of soft foods such porridge and mushed fruit, as it was the only things she was capable of keeping down. Due to their restricted funds, they could not take her to a doctor to be diagnosed and pleaded with Kiyoshi to take her so she may finally get the help she needed. Kiyoshi reluctantly agreed and took the little girl's hand, remembering how tiny it had been in his palm and how she limped alongside him from how weak her legs were from malnutrition. It was a miracle was still alive in such a sad state. He introduced himself to the girl but she said nothing, just staring at him with those large, golden eyes. He couldn't recall her ever uttering a word.

The children were taken to the laboratory and underwent routine screening for any diseases or disorders that might interfere with the introduction of the Mayfly. When they did, they discovered the source of Zetsu's impaired condition when she tested positive for possessing the Mayfly herself, a pure blooded carrier. Everyone celebrated with champagne that night. The Kekkei Genkai, however, was unstable as it had already mutated the enzymes responsible for digestion which explained her inability to eat 'normal' foods. The doctors with shinobi training reported her chakra pathways were 'infected', the Mayfly polluting them and if not ceased, would travel to her brain and reprogram it. Immediately, upon obtaining knowledge of the girl's bloodline, the Council ordered for her to undergo chemotherapy with the formula Kiyoshi had crafted to prevent her Mayfly from progressing farther so she may be used at a later occasion for their planned intentions.

With her currently in containment, Kiyoshi feared for her Mayfly. She had never been off her chemotherapy or feeding tube for so long, not even for surgeries, and he couldn't imagine how scared she was, locked up and alone like a prisoner. To save his sanity, he occupied his days with gathering together all records on K-MF-084 and the Mayfly and planning her rescue. It wasn't impossible, he soon realized, and as he thought on it more, the more optimistic he became. He had managed to narrow it down to three objectives. Now he just had to wait the perfect opportune moment. It came two days later. The night before K-MF-084 was arranged to be retrieved by the representatives of the Council.

It was evening and everyone was either changing shifts to the hospital or retiring for the night. Kiyoshi stood in his office, piling together paperwork and eyeing the people that walked past his open door towards the elevator that led to the hospital, counting bodies and striking off names to ensure there wouldn't be a soul left in the laboratory. After about an hour, there was a knock on his door.

"Tarou-sama." Kiyoshi said, greeting the overweight man standing at the door before noticing Ryouta awkwardly standing behind the doorframe. "Ryouta."

"Ah, Kiyoshi, I see you have all the paperwork ready." Tarou stated, observing the stacks upon stacks of neatly arranged folders of paperwork that sat on the man's desk. "Perfect. I just had confirmation that our guest plus party are within the Woodlands and should arrive in Kusagakure by tomorrow afternoon." Kiyoshi nodded, swallowing down the bile that crept in his throat at the thought of those people being within hours of taking K-MF-084 away forever. "Our guest is eager to meet you and Ryouta both tomorrow. The men behind the Mayfly."

"Honoured." Kiyoshi said dryly. Ryouta coughed.

"Perfect. Well, good night, Kiyoshi. I expect to see you bright and early tomorrow. Oh, and perhaps wear something nice?" Kiyoshi nodded, and Tarou gifted him a smile before waddling off. Ryouta did not follow and Kiyoshi quirked an eyebrow when the man clearly had something caught on his tongue.

"I'm sorry about K-MF-084." Ryouta finally said, rubbing the back of his head. "You obviously love the girl and if 001 hadn't died then the Council wouldn't be revoking her. Better care should have been taken."

"It's alright, Ryouta." Kiyoshi said, surprised by the man's honest apology. "None of us could have predicted this."

Ryouta shrugged. "Perhaps. Anyway, just wanted that off my chest. I'll see you tomorrow. Good night, Kiyoshi."

"Good night, Ryouta." Ryouta delivered a small wave as he left.

The short talk had touched Kiyoshi. Since the day Ryouta was employed as head of K-MF-001's project, the man had initiated a playful rivalship with Kiyoshi and their respective experiments. When 001 was acknowledged by the Council, the rivalship became competitive with Ryouta viewing himself and 001 superior to Kiyoshi and 084 which made Kiyoshi's impression of the fellow man sour over the years. Especially after witnessing the lengths he was willing to go through to 'train' 001. To see the man's humanity again was enduring.

Only minutes later, there another knock on his door and he smiled when seeing it was Ayana, clad in her jacket and handmade scarf, probably ready to walk the man home as she did most nights. Not tonight however.

"Ayana-chan." Kiyoshi whispered, drawing the woman into a warm embrace. "They're coming for 084 tomorrow, tonight is my last chance. I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry, Kiyoshi-kun?" Ayana replied, voice muffled against his shoulder. "I came to tell you I've decided on your offer and want to come with."

"What!?" Kiyoshi gasped, stepping back and staring at the woman in pure shock. "Ayana-chan, you do not have to. I was emotional and blubbering. I never meant to make you feel pressured into this."

"No," Ayana shook her head, flicking her long, black hair over her shoulder. "I thought about it, I thought about it hard and realized after you and 084 was gone, I will have no reason to remain here. You two are the reason I come to the laboratory every morning and without you… I don't want to be without you both so I want to join you."

"Oh Ayana-chan…" Kiyoshi whispered, resisting the overwhelming urge to kiss her from her heart touching devotion. She was willing to abandon her career for him and 084. If for some reason his wife did not accept him back, even after he finally told her the truth, it was nice to know he wouldn't be completely alone with Ayana and 084.

"Is there anything I can do to help you rescue 084?"

"No, I have a plan. If you are serious about joining us then I suggest going home and packing whatever you might need or want. After I get 084, I will meet you at your home then we'll leave the village. Hopefully Iwagakure will permit us to cross the bridges out of the country and from there we'll take a carriage to Sunagakure."

Ayana nodded. "Alright, I can do that. How long should I wait before I come back in case something happens?"

Kiyoshi checked his watch, estimating how long his tasks might take all together. "I should be no more than two hours. If I do not arrive by that time, return here…" He hesitated. "If for any reason I rescue 084 but cannot leave…can you take 084?"

The request took Ayana back as her brows furrowed. "I can…" She said slowly. "But nothing is going to happen Kiyoshi-kun. You'll get 084 and we'll leave together. I'm positive about it."

Kiyoshi smiled at the woman's optimism. "Thank you, Ayana-chan. Go on now. Everyone is almost gone and I need to get this done as quickly as possible. I'll see you soon." Ayana obeyed and glided out of his office, her black hair and scarf fluttering behind.

After Ayana departed for her necessary packing and the last accounted person departed the laboratory, Kiyoshi proceeded with his careful plan. Step one, securing a key card required to unlock the vault. There were four security cards that currently existed. One belonged to Ryouta, one to Tarou, the other to Toshi, and the last was a spare. Stealing the card off Ryouta and Tarou were impossible and he was unaware were the spare had floated off to, so that just left Toshi and the base of Kiyoshi's entire plan.

Kiyoshi left the security of his office, walking past the cubicles and offices and peeking inside each one as he past to ensure no one had decided to work later. After confirming he was alone there, he left the wing and into the main floor of the laboratory, heading through the hallway towards Toshi's office, the security room. Kiyoshi peered inside the closet, discovering Toshi nodding off in his seat only to be startled awake when Kiyoshi knocked on the doorframe. His hand darted toward his stun rod, but relented when noticing it was Kiyoshi and not an intruder.

"Oh, hey, Kiyoshi-san, you startled me." The overweight guard said, stifling a yawn. "Working late tonight?"

"Yeah, K-MF-084 is being retrieved tomorrow so I need to finish gathering together her paperwork."

"Oh right. Heard about that. I'm sorry about 084, she was…err, a good girl."

Kiyoshi willed a small smile. "It's alright, Toshi. I was going to make some coffee, would you like a cup?"

Toshi visibly perked up at the proposal. "Why yes I would. Three sugar. Thank you, Kiyoshi-san." Kiyoshi nodded before leaving the office and walking towards the kitchen, sneaking a veil from his pocket and into his sleeve.

He flipped the light to illuminate the scrunched together kitchen and proceeded with making the coffee in the brand new coffee pot which took him a moment to figure out how to use. He was much fonder of tea than coffee and the robust stench of the hot beverage made his anxious stomach wrench. Once the coffee began to brew, he dug out two random mugs from the cabinet and laid them out, waiting for the pot to steadily fill. After a few minutes, he deemed it full enough and poured the two cups, leaving his black while he dumped three sugars cubes into Toshi's as requested. As he stirred it, he slid the veil from beneath his sleeve and pierced the foil with his thumb nail before pouring it in also. It was a serum ingested by patients before surgeries, meant to make the recipient drowsy. Due to Toshi's near twenty-four hour schedule, he would be out in a matter of minutes.

He deposed of the container in the sink and picked up the steaming mugs, one in each hand, and departed back to Toshi's office. The guard was eagerly awaiting his return and graciously accepted his cup, sparing Kiyoshi a smile and thank you before he proceeded to slurp the scalding liquid, making the doctor wince.

"Ah, just perfect, thank you again, Kiyoshi-san." Toshi remarked, carefully placing the mug down on the control panel to avoid tempering with any of the sensitive buttoning.

"Of course, Toshi. I shall be in the infirmary wing. I need to prepare the medication necessary for 084." Toshi flashed him a thumbs up and Kiyoshi quietly left, marching towards the infirmary wing.

After letting himself in, he tiptoed into the medical ward so not awaken the slumbering children and retrieved a flashlight stored with the emergency supplies, using it to safely navigate through the darkened room to the storage closet located in the back. He fished out his keycard again and scanned it through the card reader, unlocking the metal door and engulfing him in the bitter air that bellowed from within as it slowly opened. The light inside automatically flickered on and Kiyoshi stepped inside, kicking down the stopper behind him so he wasn't locked inside as he scanned the refrigerated shelves. To his relief, 084's special medication was still stocked and hadn't been relocated or purged.

The medication was a creation of Kiyoshi himself, used not to cure the Mayfly but rather suppress its ability to mutate and override the host's brain, similar to the behavior observed in the Cordyceps fungi. Unfortunately, prolonged exposure to the drug resulted in stunted mental growth and dramatic memory loss which it why, despite being a teenager, 084 behaved half her age and her memory would erase itself every few months, including memories of Kiyoshi and herself. As sad as it was, it was a necessary evil. Kiyoshi restocked the formula once a month so the supply was thin, perhaps only two weeks' worth remained. He prayed it was enough to hold 084 through the travel to Sunagakure and until he could concoct more. Otherwise, he feared her Mayfly might begin its mutations once more.

Kiyoshi obtained a nearby box of frozen blood bags and dumped them out, using the container to carry the medication as he stacked the baggies of clear fluid within, the box barely large enough to hold them all. He relocked the freezer and set aside the box on a counter as he walked through the ward, picking up miscellaneous things he suspected he might need, mainly first aid supplies and piled them onto the overflowing box. Lastly, he yanked down the clipboard hanging over 084's empty bedside and threw it on the pile. It had all his notes he scribbled down after her procedures and chemotherapy. He did not intend on leaving behind a shred of information about her behind.

Kiyoshi heaved the box into his arms and waddled to the exit, nudging it open with his shoulder and softly closing it behind with his foot. He checked his wristwatch and discovered he had killed at least twenty minutes. Hopefully, Toshi was lost in dreamland by now as he left the infirmary and headed back towards Toshi's office, heart thumping as he prayed the man was out. His prayers were answered, as only feet away from the office, he could hear a very distinct snorting thundering from within. He jogged the remainder of the distance and peeked inside, discovering that guard fast asleep, slumped in his chair with his hands folded on his round belly. The coffee mug had been drained. Now to get the card.

Kiyoshi dropped the box and stepped into the room, debating where Toshi kept his clearance card as he visibly lacked it in his blue shirt pocket where most kept theirs. Kiyoshi kept his in his slack's pocket, which he tried as he dug into the man's front pants pockets, only finding a packet of chewing gum and a pill bottle of blood pressure medicine. He attempted his shirt pocket, on the off chance it was there but did not see it, only to fish out a handful of lint. That only left one more place, much to Kiyoshi's dismay. With a sigh, he rolled up the sleeves to his laboratory coat and leant forward, awkwardly pressing his face into the other man's chest as he reached behind to wiggle his hands into his back pant pockets. The reek of body odor liked old cheese assaulted his nose and tears welled in his eyes as he searched franticly. Thankfully, among the rolls of fat, his fingers traced the outline of a card and he hastily yanked it free, holding out the security card in success. It was red compared to Kiyoshi's yellow card and had a smiling picture of Toshi inked on the front. Toshi snorted in his sleep and Kiyoshi scurried out but paused when realizing there would be camera watching his every move with an unblinking eye. He debated about switching them off but another snore from Toshi made him disregard them as he fled back to his office. Engage step two, rescuing K-MF-084.

Once back to his office, he proceeded to gather together everything he had. He had brought an old duffle bag from home and unzipped it, piling in the tightly bound folders of paperwork inside, each folder containing a thousand plus pages. He crammed the dozen folders inside and barely managed to zip the bag closed around them. They left no room for 084's supplies so he stored them away in his suitcase instead which he had used to pack clothing for both himself and 084 for the trip. After everything was loaded, Kiyoshi made round of his office, checking cabinets and his desk to ensure no record of K-MF-084 remained, making sure to check behind said objects as well for any misplaced paper. He had been the only one with her records, he had never made copies or shared his notes with anyone else that would permit them to copy them, not even Tarou, so when nothing turned up, he was confident that he had safely secured away everything that had ever existed about her.

Kiyoshi shouldered the duffle bag, it weighing heavy and he had to rest the strap across his chest for better support and grabbed his suitcase before shuffling out of his office towards the elevator smuggled in the cubicle wing meant exclusively for descending to the basement level. Similar to the emergency elevator, only those with the special red keycard could access the basement elevator to prevent anyone from entering K-MF-001's floor unauthorized, so a key reader was in place of any buttons. Kiyoshi scanned the card and the elevator dinged, the doors sliding open without hesitation and he stepped inside, the doors closing and the elevator chugging downwards. The ride was short, only a floor before it slowed to a halt and he exited into a long, dim hallway.

The floor was only composed of the testing chamber, K-MF-001's vault and a single hallway that circled through them both so Kiyoshi walked through it at a brisk pace, eager to see K-MF-084 and get her free of that jail as quickly as possible. The hallway took a hard left into a pair of swinging doors and he pushed through them, a stumpy hallway was at his immediate right and at the end was a massive vault door that mirrored those seen in banks. Kiyoshi practically ran to it and dumped his bags before approaching the towering door, card in hand. He scanned it through the card reader and after a few agonizing seconds, it emitted a happy beep before the locks in the metal door retracted with an echoing slam, making Kiyoshi's jump and ears ring. The door slowly whined open and he grasped the handle, too anxious to await it to open itself as he heaved the heavy door back himself. Once it was wide open, he looked inside and his heart seized when he saw 084, slumped in the corner and not moving.

"Zetsu." Kiyoshi whispered, rushing inside. To his monumental relief, the girl lifted her head at the mutter of her name and her honey orbs peered up at him, dry lips widening into a beartrap grin as she muttered a happy noise. The doctor collapsed to his knees, embracing the girl and petting her unwashed hair, eyes welling with tears. "Oh Zetsu, I am so sorry."

The girl, Zetsu, whined again, unable to communicate with words, but it was obvious she did not blame him as she hugged him back. Kiyoshi pressed up his glasses, wiping his blue eyes as he returned the teenager's smile, relieved she had not been harmed while imprisoned despite being without food during that time. At least he hoped. He wouldn't put it past Tarou to place the girl on a 'carnivorous' diet considering the Mayfly. If not, he was positive she was hungry and he hoped she could ingest granola bars until they reached Sunagakure and he could get her replaced on a feeding tube after he forged new medical records for her.

"We're leaving, Zetsu. We're going somewhere new and you'll never be harmed again. No more surgeries, or procedures. You can know what it's like to be a child." Kiyoshi told her, brushing her hair with his fingers to loosen some of the drastic knots in it. They did not give and it was likely he would have to cut her hair later as the majority of it was snarled. As he did, he uncovered a shaved spot on the side of her head where the skin had been crudely sewn together. He feared what Tarou had done to her. "Does that sound nice?" Zetsu nodded, answering with another keen noise though Kiyoshi questioned she could even understand him but did not dwell on it. He had to get out of here, Ayana was waiting for them. Engage step three, get the hell out of Kusagakure.

Now that he had Zetsu, it was too dangerous to remain, even if he found somewhere in the village to hide out. He had committed that which parred with a federal offence for stealing government 'property' and he was positive Tarou would assemble an entire army to pursue him to get her back. If not him, then certainly the Council. Once in Sunagakure, he would mail his wife about everything that had happened and prayed she accepted such a tall tale and forgave him for abandoning their home in Kusagakure. Some people might think of him as a bastard for abandoning his family, but he considered 084 his family also and right now, she needed him more than anyone.

The storm lingered on outside so Kiyoshi shed his white, laboratory coat, bundling her tiny frame inside so she would not get a chill, being only clad in a flimsy hospital gown, before he assisted the teenager to her feet, her knobby knees trembling as they struggled to uphold her meager weight. Zetsu rarely walked, only walking with Kiyoshi to her surgeries every other week for samples and with his support, so her legs were not as well adjusted to walking as the normal person so after wobbling a few steps, she tumbled to the floor with Kiyoshi catching her before she struck the unforgiving metal floor. He did not want the girl to push herself, especially with the long travel ahead of them, and he scooped the teenager into his arms. She was skin and bones, being without a physical diet, so she was as light as a feather and Kiyoshi, not being a strong man, was able to balance her in his arms with ease.

Kiyoshi stepped out of the vault and balanced Zetsu against his shoulder as he retrieved his bags before walking back down the hallway and towards the elevator. Once he was in the elevator, he released a sigh and resisted the urge to burst into insane laughter with the overpowering wave of relief that washed over him. He had Zetsu, and he was on his way out. His plan had worked perfectly and cleanly. If Toshi hadn't fallen asleep from the seductive, he did not want to imagine what he would have had done to render him unconscious. He was glad there had been no need for it. He glanced down at Zetsu, discovering the girl had nodded off with her face buried against his neck and supplied a kiss to her cheek.

The elevator doors opened and Kiyoshi scurried out, around the maze of cubicles and towards the exit of the wing. Now, all he had to do was reach the emergency elevator, meet up with Ayana and get to Sunagakure. After that, all he had to be concerned with was adjusting Zetsu to her new life and groveling to his estranged wife to return and allow them all to be a single, happy family, Ayana included. It was highly doubtful, but he could dream. Sayuri's stubborn streak had been what charmed him when they both met during their school years, but now, that trait he once adored was raising hell. He was positive Miku would love to have a sister and Sayuri had always wanted a second child, but Kiyoshi could never give it to her. It could be so perfect.

All those thoughts were brought to an abrupt halt, piling into a jumble of nonsense, when he rounded the corner into the main corridor and viewed another person standing at the end of it, crouched outside of Toshi's office. At first, Kiyoshi's startled mind told him it was Toshi, having woken unexpectantly early from the drugs but it was quickly apparent it was not Toshi as the figure was twice the guard's height and clad in black trench coat.

"W-Who are you!?"

…

The next few days Kakuzu spent recouping and gathering vital intel for his objective of retrieving evidence of the Mayfly.

After the fray in Old Kusagakure, he checked in the last remaining hotel in the village, barely avoiding being witnessed by the hoard of Iwagakure shinobi that flooded the streets towards the ground zero. The person owning the bed and breakfast was a small old man with thinning, grey hair and teeth like rows of corn. The elder expressed his surprise with Kakuzu's presence, stating that due to Kusagakure's bad reputation and current Iwagakure occupation, they no longer received outside guests and no one in Kusagakure could afford to rent a room for even a single night. Due to the lack of customers, he upgraded Kakuzu to their best suite for free. Kakuzu liked free.

The room was on the top floor of the three story building and would be a nightmare for a health inspector. The unsightly pink, striped wallpaper piled off the walls, revealing the termite eaten wood walling beneath and the ceiling weighted heavy with water damage, leaking into a bucket positioned in the corner. The carpet was frayed and crunched beneath Kakuzu's feet and he suspected her was walking on the corpses of thousands of cockroaches hidden beneath. The bed sagged and the white blanketing was spotting with brown that appeared suspicious like old blood. When he shed and his jacket and tossed it on top, the blanketing wheezed and exhaled the stench of old softener. Despite all the negatives, at least it harboured a plentiful view of Kusagakure and all its poverty.

Buildings were decrepit and falling apart at the seams, more people sat the dusty streets than walked them with no one wearing a headband to display their unrivaled pride in this village, and the majority of area was littered with abandoned structures slowly being devoured by the surrounding forest as foliage sprouted from broken windows and rotted roofs. A century ago, Kusagakure had been the superpower of the world and possessed the largest population, rivaled only by Konohagakure. Today, it was hardly larger than a civilian village and in ruins like it had suffered through the Apocalypse. A legacy lost.

Amidst the decay, was a strikingly clean hospital across the street from the hotel, a harsh contrast compared to shady grocer and pawn store seated alongside it. It was larger than a stranded clinic and appeared almost brand new, as though it had only been built a matter of days prior with its untouched white paintjob and intact, shiny windows. Above the entryway was a golden plaque that read 'Kusagakure Hospital'. Kakuzu assumed that had been the hospital Domon spoke of and could understand the man's curiosity into it and his slew of questioning. It was obvious the little government that Kusagakure had left was very interested in keeping it in pristine condition instead of assisting the civilians sleeping on the footpaths and groveling for food or rebuilding their military. From personal opinion, he assumed approximately seven-percent of the villagers could not afford healthcare and such an expensive hospital would not a wise investment.

The next three days, Kakuzu spent observing the clinic and it quickly became apparent that something was off about it besides its perfect appearance. Within the first few hours of his investigation, he counted more than a dozen doctors and nurses entering and exiting the hospital for their morning shifts and lunch hour, far too many for such a tiny facility to contain, even on different shifts. In the evening, when the sun was setting, a hoard of them piled from the doors within an hour and scattered across the village to return to their homes. Kakuzu counted each individual and memorized around thirty different faces. Something was not right indeed.

On the third night, he judged himself to be in better health, the strain in his chest having faded as his two hearts adjusted to supporting each other, and he was eager to leave such a wretched place. The upgrade was free and fee cheap, but he was tired of waking wake each morning to insect friends crawling his pillows and in his hair. His surveillance proved encouraging for an easy job done. He mentally recorded each face and their time window of departure at night, each one leaving near the dot every night and he was able to estimate who remained within the hospital, being only a handful. He could easily stroll in, wrestle the few inside into submission and obtain any documentation of the Mayfly. First however, he would require additional information about the hospital and that opportune moment presented itself only an hour after Kakuzu had checked out.

The rain had finally thinned into a tolerable drizzle but the chilled lingered as Kakuzu huddled in his coat, collar upturned and shades concealing his eyes so passerbyers could not view his face and possibly recognize him from his outstanding bounty, especially the Iwagakure shinobi patrolling the streets. He staked-out in an alleyway of a closed hand-me-down shop that had a decent enough view of the hospital down the street. Doctors and a few nurses departed the building and Kakuzu crossed them off his mental list and until his estimated number of who remained inside was met and no one else left outside that timeline. An hour later, a greying doctor stepped out, but not to leave as he struck a cigarette, rounding the clinic to smoke in peace. That was when Kakuzu acted, crossing the patch of darkened road and hugging the adjacent structures towards the hospital.

He peered around the corner and saw the man propped against the wall, casually smoking his cancer stick and swooped so quickly the other man was unable to exhale, smashing his hand over the man's smoky mouth and dragging him off into a secluded area. The back of the hospital was submerged in a section of unrestrained forest which Kakuzu carried the thrashing doctor through, far enough until he was positive his screams could not be heard through the thick wooding. He tossed the old man against a thick, oak tree, hard enough to daze the doctor as he slumped, wheezing and Kakuzu extended his hand around his throat to keep him upright and to prevent any attempts at a struggle.

"You are going to answer my questions, all of them, and I shall not kill you. Is this understood?" Kakuzu spoke slowly to the petrified man who franticly nodded in agreement. "Perfect. Now, where is the information on the Mayfly?"

"The M-Mayfly? I don't know w-what you mean!"

Kakuzu snorted at the obvious answer and a thread sprouted from his wrist, waving in front of the doctor's bulging, green eyeball. "That is not correct and every time you lie to me, I physically remove something off your person. If you lie to me again, the first thing is your eyes." Kakuzu felt him swallow against his palm. "Now, where is the Mayfly?"

"I-I don't know I swear!"

"Wrong answer," The thread plunged into the man's eyeball through his pupil, end pointed like a syringe and Kakuzu compressed the man's throat with his fist to silence his screaming as the older doctor thrashed and clawed at his assailant's tattooed wrist. The eye was yanked out and deposed of on the forest floor with Kakuzu stomping on it, squishing it beneath his boot like a grape. He relented on the man's jugular and the doctor released a keen sound, trembling with his mouth agape as he inhaled and exhaled sharply, blood pouring from his empty socket as he hovered a shaking hand over it. "I suggest you stop lying to me. I was in the Iwagakure camp when that abomination attacked so I know well that the Mayfly existence and that this is where is originated. Again, where is the Mayfly?"

"T-The Mayfly…" Another thread danced in front of the man's other eye to discourage another lie. "I-It's here! I p-promise!"

"Where?"

"The l-laboratory."

"Where is the laboratory? In the hospital?" Kakuzu asked, patience being stretched thinned already and the thread twitched closer.

"Under the hospital! I-It's under the hospital!" The doctored insisted, compressing himself against the trunk away from the threatening black string. "The h-hospital is just a d-decoy!"

Kakuzu hummed, this new information interesting him. It would explain a lot, like the hospital's existence if it was just built to conceal a secret laboratory beneath. The thread relented and the doctor sighed a little before it was crept closer to prevent such relief. "This laboratory developed the Mayfly?" The man nodded. "Was that one that ambushed Iwagakure the only one?"

"Y-Yes." The answer didn't sit right with Kakuzu as he noted the hesitation in the man's voice occupied by the shutter and averted glance, exposing the clever lie that substantially enraged Kakuzu. Without warning, the thread pierced his other eye with a spurt of blood and the man screamed out before his airway was crushed by Kakuzu's hand, leaving him gasping and twitching as other eye was wrenched out also. Once released, he collapsed to his knees, sobbing while clenching his bleeding face.

"Wrong. Answer. Where is the other Mayfly!?" Kakuzu roared, pulling the man back to his feet and shoving him against the trunk by his bruised throat once again. There was another Mayfly, now he knew for sure, and it was vital he got it, not just for the Akatsuki, but his bank account. A live being with an extinct bloodline would sell well with the Great Nations. Especially after the destructive power he witnessed of just one. The world would be fighting tooth and claw for it. "Tell me or the next thing I take is your tongue."

"K-MF-084..." The man coughed, light-headed and breathless from the constant strangling and heavy blood loss. "Dr. Akiayama…"

"K-MF-084? Dr. Akiayama?"

"Her experiment number…Kiyoshi…he is her doctor." The fading doctor suddenly perked up. "A-Ask him! He-He'll know! I nothing else I promise you! P-Please…"

Kakuzu snorted. He had no time to retrieve this other doctor nor the patience. "How do I access this laboratory? Through the hospital?"

The doctor paused and Kakuzu tightening his chokehold to discourage any attempts of fibbing, making the blind man flinch. "The elevator! There's an emergency elevator that enters the lab."

"Where?" Kakuzu pressed, eager to conclude this prolonged interrogation.

"There's an abandoned warehouse…" The elderly doctor pointing behind himself in the general location it might be. "It's in there... Now please…I know nothing else. Please!"

Kakuzu regarded the man's pleading and released his throat. "Very well. But I shall have your heart."

"What!?" The doctor yelped, staring upward towards Kakuzu with the bleeding craters in his skull. "You said you wouldn't kill me if I told you everything!"

"I did." Kakuzu freely agreed. "But I hold no respect for a man that betrays his own." With that, he thrusted his gloved hand through the older man's chest, yanking out his beating heart and snapping the arteries that stretched from within his caved ribcage. The doctor gasped, releasing a wet gurgle as blood and bile rived from his lips before collapsing to the ground, twitching in an expanding pool of blood.

Kakuzu analyzed the dying heart, grumbling at its poor quality but at the moment, beggars could not be choosers as it would only be a temporary fix until he found a more worthy heart to replace it. He had no one to blame but himself, he had become so cocky with this new jutsu in the few years he had possessed it which caused him to dramatically underestimated the Mayfly and in return, he had had paid dearly for it. It would not happen again.

A wall of threads extended from beneath his collar and swallowed the organ, transferring it to the empty slot in his back and linking it to his other two hearts. Once the heart was successfully installed, Kakuzu trembled for a series of seconds at the rush of new charka circulating through his body, engulfing him in a feverish heat and sense of disorientating light-headedness before slowly fading away. He coughed and inhaled deeply, noting the weight on his lungs had lifted and clasped his chest where could feel three different rhythms of beating against his hand. He felt revived and was deathly curious how five hearts would function. Before, when he had interrogated the new hearts, obtaining four hearts had nearly killed him which is why had been depending on only three this entire time, but he had been crippled and sickly then, now he was stronger and had no reason to doubt he could handle those extra hearts. This process was encouraging, but now, he had the Mayfly to be concerned about and he was more than ready to conclude this mission.

Kakuzu carelessly kicked the doctor's corpse aside, leaving for the local wildlife to feast upon and walked through the shadowy thicket, searching for the elusive warehouse the old man had spoken of as a means to access this secret laboratory that contained the Mayfly. After several of minutes of walking and looking, he noticed a leery structure in the distance, nearly unnoticeable due to the layers of moss and foliage that concealed it and its wooden frame being easily mistaken for splintered timber. He approached the warehouse, keeping an ear out for anyone that might be lurking about, probably security of said secret elevator, and rounded the building before discovering the entrance that was draped with hanging vine. It appeared recently infiltrated, as the vine growing downwards over the opening had been torn away and the doorframe was smeared with a dark substance that was assumed blood. Blood was also splashed on the concrete flooring and formed an arcing pathway between the overturned tables and stained the shattered glass bottles littering the ground, indicting its freshness as this packaging plant appeared to have been left several years ago.

Kakuzu followed the trail, holding his nose from the stench of rotted food that was contained in trash bags dumped in corners and trampled on the ground. Through the darkness, Kakuzu could perceive the blood take a sharp turn towards an unsuspecting closet which had its door ajar, the silver knob painted red. Inside the closet was a set of rickety stairs that led downwards into a cramped basement and within, Kakuzu found the elevator, its clean, metal door almost glowing in the black. The control panel only contained one lit button that was wiped with more blood and Kakuzu jabbed it with his thumb. The elevator gave a happy ding and a screen above the doors flickered on that read 'Call Elev.' before a loud chugging was heard and made the thin flooring beneath Kakuzu's feet tremble as the box approached from below.

After a few seconds, the ungodly noise stopped and the ding rang out again as the doors slid open into a solid, metal room that could fit a few people comfortably at most. The floor was sticky with a large pool of blood that stuck to Kakuzu's boots as he stepped in it and made his stomach curdle at the overwhelming smell of iron and rot. There was four buttons on the inside, a blank one, two with arrows indicting the closing and opening of the doors and an unmarked one and another with an exclamation mark engraved in it that obviously advised him not to touch it, so he pressed the blank button. The doors closed and the room abruptly began dropping down, making him grasp the railing to prevent himself from toppling over from the unsteady ride as it rapidly descended. Within seconds, it slowed but not enough as it slammed to a halt, making Kakuzu hit his elbows on the steel walling behind him and swear as his funny bones vibrated with acute pain. Suddenly, two lights began to flash red, flooding the elevator with a blinking, red glow that made his head throb and the monitor above the doors read 'Clear. Need'.

"Clearance needed? Fuck that." Kakuzu pressed the button with the two arrows pointing outwards to open the doors but it did not work. He clicked it again and again, even punching the warning button with no further results except the message atop changing to 'Assist. Call' which made him scowl. "Fucking hell." He couldn't just stay here forever and he wasn't about to sit around until someone came along to let him out, that was for damned sure. He would let himself out.

There was a thin breach where the two elevator doors met together and Kakuzu scarped at it with his fingers, managing to secure a millimeter grasp on each door and with a hint of strength, slowly pried them apart with the doors resisting with a spine-chilling screeching as they grinded against the tracks. Once a large enough opening was secured, Kakuzu stepped outside and released his grasp off the struggling doors, causing them slam closed behind with a squeal. Kakuzu dusted his hands and glanced around, evaluating his surroundings to discover he was now standing in a hallway that was drenched in red from the lights beaming above the elevator. The hallway was short before ending with a windowed door and card reader and possessed a pair of doors at both ends of the hall with an elongated window between to his left with a sign beside each that read 'Infirmary'. It was a start.

Kakuzu approached the nearest door and fiddled with the knob, finding it to be unlocked as he stepped inside the clinic which was illuminated by the flashing lights in the hallway. Inside, there were two rows of beds on each side and tucked away in a few were children, their sleeping faces bathed in the mix of coloured lighting from the emergency alarms outside and the machinery at their bedside. Kakuzu stepped around between the beds, analyzing each child and the identification number that was printed on a sheet of paper hanging at the foot of their bed, each beginning with K-MF and ending with a number. K-MF-084; that had been the number the doctor had given him of this 'Mayfly Girl' and if she did indeed exist, he was already on the right track of finding her.

The numbers were random, having no particular order and Kakuzu read each sign, careful not to awaken the children as he progressed through. Finally, towards the other end of the clinic, he found the elusive 'K-MF-084'. Unfortunately, the bed was empty and hadn't appeared to have been slept in anytime recent as it had been neatly made and lacked any drabbled notes like the other children. Kakuzu swore beneath his breath and slammed his fist onto the mattress to muffle the blow. This 'Mayfly Girl' was either in another location, dead or the quack had lied to him and he foolishly believed him. Optimism told him this girl was alive and merely in another location to be found, but reality said she was long dead. Regardless, he had infiltrated the laboratory and if this live specimen was deceased or removed, the evidence of the Mayfly was certainly here and it was just the matter of finding it instead. He was on a time limit however, so he would have to find it fast and quietly exit without witnesses and more bodies.

Kakuzu exited the infirmary through the second door and inspected the door leaving the wing, leering at the card reader beside it that was the means of unlocking said door. He had always distasted technology, he himself being a relic of simpler times. It was crude and complicated but, it was also laughably weak in design as evident when Kakuzu delivered a powerful punch against the device, shattering into shards of plastic and wiring and causing the door to malfunction and unlock itself. The man smirked with a snort as he allowed himself out, only to take a few steps outside and freeze as he perceived an open room a few feet before him with its light on inside. He had never expected to be alone in such an area of unknown so now was the matter of dispatching whoever with inside without them shouting for help to anyone else in the laboratory currently.

Kakuzu stepped softly towards the room, hugging against the hallway wall but paused when he stood alongside the doorframe and heard…snoring? He listened hard, ensuring it wasn't his senile mind playing tricks on him only to confirm it was not when the sound repeated itself. He leant around the corner, glancing inside to see an obese man, clad in a blue, security uniform and reclined in an office chair with his hands folded on his protruding belly, unsoundly asleep. The sleeping guard was the only person in the small room and Kakuzu but did not relent on his stealth as he debated about dispatching the slumbering man to prevent him from jarring awake. He crouched through the short doorway and outstretched his hand, summoning a legion of threads from his wrist that hovered around the oblivious man, aiming themselves towards vital artistries that would ensure an easy death by means of blood loss. However, Kakuzu's malicious intentions were disturbed by the startled exclamation behind him.

"W-Who are you!?"

…

**AN:** _Chapter finished, phew. I attempted to tone down the violence in this chapter the best I could but I've come to realize it's impossibly since it's all downhill from here, especially with the upcoming chapter and the Akatsuki. So, in the future, there will be violence, a lot of it, and there is nothing I can do about it since it's a necessary evil for the plot. _

_Also, again I apologize for all the mistakes in this chapter. If I see any I missed in the future then I shall correct them but for now, please excuse them. I can't get everything right the first time around since I forget or overlook things. I'm sorry. _

_Next chapter: Kiyoshi and Kakuzu meet and the struggle over the Mayfly concludes. _

_Until next time._


	12. Arc 1: Chapter 11

**AN: **_Last chapter and everyone will be free of these OCs. There will loads of drama and bloodshed in this chapter so if you do not like that sort of thing, then skip this chapter but know a lot of heavy plot points happen so you might be lost afterwards. _

**AOHAD: **Thank you again for your kind message. I hope this chapter pleases you!

_And to everyone else, also enjoy! It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears. _

**Warning(s): Language (Low), Genderbend (Mid), Violence/Gore/Death (High)**

…

**Wasteland**

**Act 1:**

**Chapter 11**

A million thoughts are rushing through Kiyoshi's head as he starred at the dark, unwelcomed guest at the end of the floor, clasping Zetsu protectively close.

Who was this man? How did he get into the laboratory? When he had he? How long had had he been here? Had Tarou sent him? Had the Council sent him? Was he the one the Council had sent to retrieve Zetsu? If so, why was he here so early and why arrive during the night when no one was around? Only one of these questions were answered, when Kiyoshi witnessed the blaring of the emergency lights through the ajar door of the Infirmary wing, indicting the man had broken in through the emergency elevator but that only rose a whole new slew of questioning that made his scrambling mind spin.

Kakuzu reared up from the doorway, threads retracting back into his striped wrist as he faced the person that had yelled at him, analyzing him from behind his shades. The lanky man was a doctor or scientist with a head of curly, blonde hair and blue eyes that stared at him over the rim of silver glasses. It would appear the man had somewhere to go as he carried two pieces of heavy luggage and he had unintentionally interrupted him. Immediately, Kakuzu's attention was drawn to the child cradled against the quack's chest that was bundled in a white coat.

Wouldn't it be ironic if he was searching for a specific experiment and given a specific name of a doctor that cared for said experiment and both had just presented themselves before him? Kakuzu had never been one to believe in divine invention, but today, he was willing to do it just this once.

"Are you Akiayama Kiyoshi?" Kiyoshi gasped at the stranger's question, gaping jaw quivering as his eyes widened. How did he know his name!? Kiyoshi did not reply, could not reply as his voice was frozen in his voice box but the man's petrified expression was answer enough for Kakuzu. The Gods were generous for once in his extended lifetime. "Where is K-MF-084?"

Kiyoshi was nearly in tears as he trembled. He knew about Zetsu also? Who was this man and who had hired him? It had to be Tarou. The man knew Kiyoshi wasn't laying down and allowing the Council to take away K-MF-084 so he hired someone to intercept him and prevent any attempts of a rescue. It had to be. That bastard!

Again there was no answer but none was needed for Kakuzu from the man's reaction alone. This man was Akiayama Kiyoshi and the child he carried was K-MF-084. Gods be praised. The miser stepped towards Kiyoshi, awaiting hand outstretched. "Hand over the girl, doctor, and I shall spare your life."

Kiyoshi stumbled back, fat tears rolling down his cheeks as he hugged Zetsu closer, the sleeping girl cuddling closer, blissfully aware of the dire circumstances that were playing out over her life. Kakuzu's brow furrowed and his nose wrinkled, fingers curling into a fist as threads sprouted from his wrist from the silent rejection. "Very well, then I shall take both her, and your life."

Kakuzu advanced towards Kiyoshi, threads dancing from his collar and sleeves and the thundering of his boots against the metal flooring echoed the frantic thumping of Kiyoshi's heart as he searched for a desperate escape. Ducking into the nearby maze of cubicles or conference room were not ideal as the tanned man could easily corner him and he couldn't dodge past him towards the emergency elevator. Behind him was the elevator that led to the hospital which seemed his only opinion. He dumped off the heavy luggage of paperwork to avoid being weighed down by it, judging he could risk leaving given the situation, and turned, fleeing towards the elevator with just the emergency supplies. Suddenly, within inches of the doors, something grasped tightly onto his hair and he was wretched backwards into the air, soaring several feet before crashing to the floor, leaving him dazed and gasping for breath as he landed hard on his back.

Kakuzu's hand reconnected to his wrist as he faced the doctor behind him, reaching down to yank away the girl still clenched in his arms. Kiyoshi rejected the dizziness plaguing him as he shoved away from the man, flipping over to his hands and knees and scrambling to his feet as he stumbled away towards the Infirmary wing. Kakuzu hooked the doctor's legs with his foot, causing Kiyoshi to tumble to the ground and Zetsu to slide from his grip, the girl awakening with a yelp as she rolled across the floor and into a nearby wall. Kiyoshi shoved himself up to stand but Kakuzu grounded him as he stomped onto the back of his knees, the fragile caps exploding upon contact and Kiyoshi screamed as hot pain flooded his senses. Kakuzu set his foot on his lower back and applied pressure, snapping the man's pelvis in two to ensure no means of escape and Kiyoshi released a keen wail, clawing at the iron flooring until his nails broke off and left bloody streaks.

"I warned you, doctor, and you chose poorly." Kakuzu remarked, forcefully bringing his foot down onto his ankles next and Kiyoshi yelled out as they were shattered into dust, tears rivering down his face as paralyzing agony engulfed his entire lower half.

Zetsu recovered from her jarring impact and stared at Kiyoshi, caramel orbs welling with tears as she watched Kakuzu continually stomp onto her caretaker's legs, her ears ringing from the sound of breaking bones and his screaming. "Ki….Ki…" She whimpered.

Kakuzu relented on the blonde's legs when the bones no longer crunched beneath his boots and leant down, rolling the fading man onto his back by his throat as he hovered his hand above his heaving chest. "The girl is mine, as is your heart." He told Kiyoshi and reared his arm back for the finishing blow. Kiyoshi's eyes rolled back into his head as his air passage was constricted and picked at Kakuzu's fingers to relieve the suffocating pressure.

However, after a few seconds, the hand had yet to be punched through his chest so Kiyoshi reopened his eyes and saw the man rooted in the position, his arm having been prevented in its deadly objective and Kiyoshi's eyes widened at who had done it. Kakuzu grunted, nose crinkled as a sharp pain throbbed in his hand and the distinct dripping of blood could be heard. His eyes shifted in their bloodshot sockets towards his suspended arm to discover the Mayfly Girl hanging from it and his gloved hand compressed between her impressive jowls, her hooked canines buried so deeply in his skin that it caressed bone. The girl snarled deeply in her throat, mimicking a beast twice her size as her large, golden orbs fearlessly challenging Kakuzu's opposing emerald through the darkness of his glasses, flickering with that animalistic bloodlust he recalled witnessing in the Mayfly Man. Kakuzu retained the burning eye contact with the girl before abruptly swinging his arm back, easily tossing the teenager off and sending her through the windowed wall of the meeting room. The window broke apart into a cascade of glass that showered her as her body collided with the conference table and slumped to the floor. Kakuzu investigated his hand, staring at the deep, bleeding cavities in distaste and released Kiyoshi's throat as he removed his torn glove, his threads making quick work of sewing the bite wounds closed. Another scar for his expanding collection. He would have to remember to apply antibacterial to the injury to ward off whatever infectious germs she might possess due to the Mayfly.

"Zet…su." Kiyoshi wheezed as he stared at the unconscious girl, making a feeble attempt to sit up but Kakuzu downed him again as he stomped onto his abdomen and Kiyoshi coughed a mouthful of blood as his ribs snapped like twigs.

Kakuzu carelessly walked atop Kiyoshi as he stepped through the broken window of the conference room, leaning over the unconscious brat. He grasped the back of her coat to lift her but her tiny body slipped free of the cloak and she tumbled back to the ground, her hospital gown beneath being revealed in the process. Stitched across the back of her shoulders was the identification number of 'K-MF-084'. Kakuzu smirked. There was not a doubt. The Mayfly belonged to him now. Kakuzu yanked the girl up by her greasy hair and tossed her limp form over his shoulder before exiting the room. As he did, he felt something tug at his pant leg and gazed down to see Kiyoshi, the blonde having managed to conjure together enough strength to drag himself to the mercenary.

The doctor stared up at Kakuzu, ocean-blue eyes hazy with tears and lips trembling as he spoke. "Please…please don't take her…please don't…hurt her…"

Kakuzu snorted, callously ignoring the man's heartfelt pleading and delivered a harsh kick to his face, breaking his glasses and jaw and rendering him unconscious as his face struck the floor, blood pooling from his nose and mouth. Kakuzu walked across the motionless doctor, hearing his spine crack unnaturally beneath his boots, and towards the discarded bags.

Kakuzu leant down and unzipped the luggage to uncover the contents within. Inside the duffle bag were swollen folders and files, marked with random dates and the girl's experiment number and Kiyoshi's name. Immediately, a clipboard atop the paperwork listing dates and procedures referenced K-MF-084 and her Mayfly, completely confirming the identity of the Mayfly Girl for Kakuzu. In the other bag were clothing, toys and medical supplies which he took no interest in and left behind. As he made headway back towards his point of entrance to depart, he gave mind to the doctor that was on the floor, slowly bleeding out through his nose from his broken skull. He decided to generously spare the man's pathetic life as he walked back towards the elevator he had entered through before, the unconscious Mayfly Girl and evidence of the Mayfly in hand. He did not want ownership of such a bleeding heart anyway.

The red lights blinked on as he returned to the elevator and pried open the locked doors again which resisted to the best of their ability against the intrusion. Once inside, he "pursued" the elevator to move again with a well-aimed drive of his steel toe into the control panel, caving in the buttons and causing them to spark. A few more kicks and the elevator suddenly screeched, the lights and screen switching off temporarily before turning on a few seconds later, the glaring message on the above screen gone. The elevator groaned and shuttered before suddenly ascending upwards at a nauseating pace. Once the elevator reached its destination, the doors chugged open and Kakuzu was barely able to step through them when they slammed closed, nearly clamping onto his leg in the process, and the unstable elevator squealed and screeched back downwards again like a ride in a horror attraction.

The reliving dribble of rain that intensified once again as cascading water ricocheted off the tin roof of the plant with the weight of hail. Kakuzu fastened his coat closed and tucked the bag of important documentary beneath his arm to protect it from water damage. The Mayfly Girl remained limply draped across his shoulder, he caring little if she was soaked to the bone and got a chill, as he departed into the ravaging storm to finally exit this living wasteland that was Kusagakure.

…

Ayana was understandable worried, as she safely stood within the warmth of her home, viewing the rain fall between the branches of the dark foresting outside her front window and awaiting Kiyoshi to arrive with K-MF-084.

It had been an hour and half with no sign of either and she wondered if the worse had occurred and something had happened. Had Tarou returned prematurely and caught Kiyoshi attempting to leave with 084? Or Ryouta? Perhaps Toshi had actually done something for once in his career? The lingering storm had resumed its battering of Kusagakure with ice cold rain and howling winds that made her home creak and shutter. Perhaps the storm had hindered them? Whatever it was, she couldn't swallow down the insecurity that weighed heavy in her stomach as she anxiously watched each minute tick by on the godfather clock, waiting for either a miracle or disaster to unfold. A miracle she prayed.

When the hour nearly chimed, she acknowledged the hard truth. Kiyoshi was not arriving and something had happened to him back at the laboratory in his attempt to escape with 084. She steeled herself to the possibilities as she shouldered her knapsack and closed down her departed parents' home she would be abandoning in her pursuit to protect Kiyoshi's cherished experiment. She questioned if she should possess a concealed weapon when she reentered the laboratories, given the unknown circumstances and level of desperation of the situation. Even a pacifist as herself wouldn't hold herself back if Kiyoshi or 084 was in danger and she certainly couldn't pass up the opportunity to stab Tarou if he was the result of this all. That fat bastard was begging to have that smug smirk of his carved off his flabby face since the moment he stepped in on the project and bastardized it.

As she drew together the golden, black-out curtains to the front window to cast out the storm, the interior light flooding from the window illuminated a distorted figure shifting between the trees that caught her eye. At first, she questioned it had just been the wind and branches flailing about to cast the eerie silhouette. However, the shadow did waver to match such a method as it steadily stretched upward upon the surrounding trunks like a crawling hand, slowly taking a familiar shape. It was the shape of a person. Immediately, Ayana's heart soared and the dark clenches of doubt vanished. It was Kiyoshi and 084. She should have known better than to think the worse. Kiyoshi was resourceful and clever, even Tarou could not stop him once he set his mind to something. Collecting the proper filing and K-MF-084 simply must have taken longer than originally anticipated. It had been foolish of her to ever worry.

Hastily, she scooped up her overstuffed suitcases and umbrella and rushed towards the front door, flicking off the lights behind her. Once outside, she fumbled with her umbrella while simultaneously jogging towards the approaching figure, using her arm to shield herself from the sheets of rain. The person wedged themselves from between the trees and Ayana skidded to a halt, greeting frozen on her tongue when realizing instantly this shadowy figure was not Kiyoshi. The shuffling person stood twice the doctor's height, even taller than the average person, and was camouflaged in entirely black wardrobe that made them appear like walking shade. Her heart fluttered to the bottom of her stomach. It was not Kiyoshi.

The shambling stranger paid no heed to Ayana as they approached to pass her by and Ayana had no interest in conversing with such an uncomfortable being or remain out in the storm as she turned away to retreat from both to the safety of her home once more. Disappointed, she walked back to her front door, shutting and locking the door behind her so she did not receive any unwelcomed guests and dumped her baggage aside. She flipped on the lights and slumped against the sill of the main floor bay window, resuming her seemingly fruitless watch for Kiyoshi and K-MF-084. The interior light penetrated through the glass and casted a lit pathway outside, capturing the passerbyer in its shine. They paused in their step and turned to face the bright window as though offended, causing a shiver to course through Ayana's spine at the sight of the massive, dark-skinned man whose burning stare she felt through the obscurity of his sunglasses. His dark choice of clothing and masked face made her paranoia worsen as she questioned if she should now fear being robbed or potently worse if she left the security of her house, or even within, as she considered that kitchen knife even more now.

Finally, the man turned his head away after an uncomfortable chain of long seconds and shrugged his shoulder, adjusting something that was slung upon it. Ayana peered at it and felt her blood freeze in her veins as realized the white object frightingly resembled a human body as she swore she perceived it possessing a pair of dangling, naked legs. She conjured it to her stressed mind playing tricks on her. Very sick tricks.

The guest departed again as he trudged through the mud towards the treeline alongside her home and disappear forever, much to Ayana's relief as she watched him to ensure his leave before she dared unlock her door or step outside again. Hopefully, Kiyoshi arrived soon so at least she had some protection, even if the man was as frail as a twig. Overhead, the clouds exploded with lightning, making them glow and briefly shower the below Woodlands with light that lasted only a brief second before the country was swallowed by the darkness of the storm once more. In that second, Ayana made a horrifying realization as the object on the man's shoulder was fully illuminated. First, it _was_ body. A small body, too small to be an adult but too large to be a child. Second, the hair colour. It was green like the leaves on the surrounding trees and long like tangled thorns. She only knew one person with green hair and lastly, the body was dressed in a white gown with black stenciling across the shoulders that though she could not make it out before the light dissipated, something deep inside her knew exactly what it said. It was the paranoia and anxiety, they were showing her things that did not exist and what her mind feared most, and it had worked, because before she realized it, her legs were darting her towards the door as her hands fumbled with the lock in a blind panic. She had to prove her delusional mind wrong.

She threw open the door and stumbled outside into the soaking rain, catching a fleeting glimpse of the man vanishing behind the side of her cabin home. She scrambled after, nearly losing her footing in the slick mud and came to a halt behind him, far enough he did not see her, but close enough she could view body more closely. Even in the night, the dark printing contrasted sharply against the white fabric and while the upside-down the lettering was hard to decipher, there was no mistaking the numbering which composed half of the phase. It was 084, it was K-MF-084. Oh god…the worse had happened.

"Zetsu!" She screamed the girl's name and rushed at the man, who had stopped from her yell and craned his head toward the frantic woman. "What are you doing with her!?" She demanded, the hot tears flooding from her eyes warming her chilled face as she reached toward the unconscious girl to wrench her off the man's shoulder. "What are yo-"

Ayana's shouting was cut short and the million thoughts racing through her mind crashed into a heap of unanswered questions before everything went blank when the man's elbow collided with the side of her head, too quickly for her eyes or brain to register. A loud cracking emitted from her skull from the contact and she was propelled from the force, soaring several feet before her body made impact with a nearby tree, the sound of breaking bones echoing like thunder. The woman slumped bonelessly to the ground, blood pouring from her nose and gaping mouth as her empty eyes stared blankly forward.

Kakuzu flexed his arm, his elbow cracking back into place and throbbing dully from the woman's skull. He glanced back at her unconscious form, perceiving the blood streaming from her broken skull before snorting and proceeding on with his exit of the country.

Hopefully, no one else interfered with his mission. He did not like leaving a trail of bodies. It was such a waste of money.

…

"What is the occasion, Ryouta? You look dressed for a funeral." Ryouta smiled weakly as his two female coworkers playfully teased him as they walked together through the main hallway towards the employee's lobby, their footfalls echoing on the tile throughout the empty rooms lining the hall. It was the early mornings so not many people had yet reported for work and the lack of patients made the hospital possess an eerie silence. This morning, however, something nagged at Ryouta which he could not quite shake. The quiet made his ears ring and fresh smell of blench burned his nostrils.

"A representative of the Council is arriving today to retrieve K-MF-084. Apparently, she wishes to meet Kiyoshi and I, so I thought I'd dress nicely." Ryouta explained, adjusting his tie which matched his sharp, black suit which he had spent the night ironing. Usually, it was meant for the rare funeral or wedding. It felt oddly appropriate for today.

"Well, you clean up very nicely." The two nurses erupted into a fit of giggling and Ryouta blushed faintly, bowing his head so the two woman did not see his pink cheeks as he clicked the button to call the elevator. Once it arrived, he politely allowed them to board first before stepping on himself and selecting the button for the underground laboratory. The doors chugged closed and the elevator shuttered as it smoothly glided down several floors below. During the ride, Ryouta adjusted himself in the reflection of the control panel as he tightened the knot his dark hair was tied in and checked his freshly shavened face for any blemishes.

"Stop fretting, Ryouta-kun," One of the women said, her name Ryouta could not recall. Honestly, all the women which worked the laboratory or hospital blended together with their copy-and-paste personalities and appearances. Ayana was the only exception. "You look perfect." It wasn't his appearance that nerved Ryouta, it was something he could not place his finger on and continued to fiddle with his hair to curb the discomfort.

"He said the Council sent a female representative," The other woman whispered, none too subtly as it was in clear earshot of Ryouta. "I bet he's trying to impress her." The elevator slowed to a halt and the opened slid open with a cheerful beep as the woman stepped out first.

"Oh don't be s-" The nurse's sentence was disrupted by a bloodcurdling scream from her friend which she responded with her own.

Ryouta's head jolted up and he shoved past the two women, bewildered what they were screeching about when he saw it. Several feet in front of them in the middle of the wide corridor was a human body, the white laboratory coat they were dress in discoloured red from the blood it swam it. The two woman huddled together, whimpering as Ryouta rushed forward to check the injuried person. As he approached, it quickly became apparent who is was by their head of blonde curls that no one else in the laboratory possessed.

"Kiyoshi!" Ryouta hissed as he crouched next to the man who laid face down in his own blood. One of the nurses recovered from her shock and ran over to assist Ryouta who fumed at her. "What the hell are you doing!? Get a fucking gurney!" The woman sat stunned for a moment from the man's snarl before scrambling to her feet and running to the surgery bay to fulfil the request while her friend made haste to the nearest emergency station for a first aid. Focusing his attention back to the dead or dying Kiyoshi, Ryouta probed for his pulse on his neck when the doctor stirred, causing the brunette to yank away his hand.

"Ryouta…" Kiyoshi moaned through his broken jaw, blood and saliva leaking from the empty gap between his teeth. He weakly lifted his head, the blood that stuck between his face and the floor piled from his skin like a scab. If it hadn't been for the blonde's trademark curls, Ryouta would have never identified him as his face had been battered beyond recognition, an ugly mass of black and red with his eyeglasses dangling broken on his crooked nose, the shattered lens embedded in one his eyes. "Ryouta…?"

"I'm here, Kiyoshi. I'm here." Ryouta reinsured his mutilated colleague, glancing around as he observed the scene, noting the dissected bags nearby and shattered glass of the conference room. "Fucking hell, what happened here, Kiyoshi?"

"He…he took her…he took Zetsu…" The doctor slurred.

The nurse which had retreated for a first aid returned, jogging to Ryouta and handing him the red bag the supplies were stored inside before leaving to assist her friend in wheeling the gurney. Quickly, he dumped out the contents and searched through for gauze to absorb the visible bleeding from the man's face, tearing open the package and pressing it gently against the man's scalp. The bandage was swallowed by blood in seconds. There was blood everywhere, it was a miracle the man was conscious, let alone alive. There was no knowing of the fully extent of his injuries. Kiyoshi would require emergency surgery if he were to survive.

"Who…? Who took who?" Ryouta asked absent-mindingly, more focused on sopping up more blood from the man's fractured skull with the remaining gauze. The overwhelming smell of wet iron made his head teeter worse. "God, where is that fucking gurney!?"

"K-MF-084…A man…A…man…Tarou…"

"Tarou?" A crowd was beginning to form as a few more doctors and nurses arrived for their daily duty, gathering around to witness the gruesome scene with startled gasps and shocked exclamations.

"Tarou…" Kiyoshi heaved a cough, clotted blood spurting from his broken nose. "Tarou…did it. He…stole K-MF-084…"

"K-MF-84 has been taken?"

Ryouta flinched at the question and spun around, seeing his stubby boss standing behind him among the crowd, the other doctors rearing back in surprise also. Tarou's grey orbs scanned over Kiyoshi, his fat face betraying not the slightest bit of shock or concern giving the bloody crime scene he had just walked in on he stood with his hands casually tucked in the pockets of his dark trousers. It made a shiver roll down Ryouta's spine from the man's cold, detached demeanor.

"Who did this to you, Kiyoshi?" Tarou asked, his voice stoic as though he was carrying out a nonchalant conversation with the doctor. "What has happened to K-MF-084?"

"Tarou...!" Kiyoshi snarled, blood caught in his throat made the man's name escape as a gurgle. "You…you did this!"

"Kiyoshi, relax!" Ryouta scolded, gingerly restraining the man as he attempted in vain to shove himself up. The nurses finally arrived with the gurney, much to Ryouta's overwhelming relief and the two women assisted him with carefully lifting Kiyoshi's dead weight from the strained floor to load him onto the wheeled bed.

"No, leave him." Tarou interrupted, waddling from the wall of gapping onlookers, face portraying an amused smirk. "I want to hear this. Kiyoshi, please, go on."

"Tarou-sama, please." Ryouta pled, struggling to uphold Kiyoshi when the women obediently backed away without question and he balanced the blonde against his chest, feeling the fabric of his suit grow wet with sickly, warm blood.

"Tarou." Kiyoshi wheezed, slumping his head against his shoulder so he could stare daggers at Tarou with his remaining eye. "You…hired that…monster…to take Zetsu from me! You…did…_all of this!"_

"Monster? I honestly do not know what you're talking about, Kiyoshi." Tarou said, exasperated, and shook his head, cheeks flapping like a bloodhound. "Do you honestly think I would hire someone to take your little experiment when she is set to be taken today by the Council? How do I know _you_ didn't hire this supposed monster? Afterall, it was obvious you didn't intend to allow her to be taken quietly." Tarou concluded, referencing the discarded luggage strewn about.

"Why…why would I…_hire someone to do this…?"_

"A desperate man is capable of anything, Kiyoshi-kun." Tarou retorted and Ryouta narrowed his eyes at his boss. How could this man honestly believe that Kiyoshi would hire someone, not only to take K-MF-084, but cripple him in the progress? It was insane and obvious how desperately he wanted evidence to use Kiyoshi as a scapegoat when the Council representative arrived. Ryouta was unsure if Tarou did indeed have involve in this entire incident, but he did not put it past the old pig.

"I would ne-"

"Someone help us!" Everyone turned around at the scream to discover two doctors standing in the mouth of the hospital elevator, hoisting a bloody body between them. It was Ayana.

"Ayana." Ryouta breathed, the gasp drowned out by the chorus of female sobbing and flurry of frantic questioning the audience of doctors exchanged with the sudden arrival of yet another beaten employee. Even through the ringing in his ears, Kiyoshi overheard the women's name and his dying heart hit the ground. Oh god…_Ayana, too?_

"Oh pity, what has happened to Ayana-chan?" Tarou gasped, it audibly faked to those within earshot.

"We were passing by…her house when we noticed the lights on…but the door was wide open…" One of the doctors panted. "We called to her with no response…"

"Then we noticed her slumped against a tree. It looks like she was attacked." The other doctor finished, gesturing toward the woman's hung head, her black locks painted red with matted blood. "She has a severe concussion, possibly a fractured skull. She needs surgery now!" A few of the doctors broke from the stunned crowd, ordering their nurse counterparts to prepare for the emergency surgery while assisting their co-workers with heaving the woman's lifeless body towards the surgery bay. As they passed, Kiyoshi caught a glimpse of her mangled form and choked on a sob, spitting up some blood and one of his teeth was dislodged with the tidal. Tarou had successfully destroyed everything he loved. _He destroyed everything!_

With the little strength he possessed, Kiyoshi lunged away from Ryouta towards Tarou, the brunette man to stumbling with his shoes sliding in the blood pooled upon the ground and causing him to tumble to the floor. However, it was then in his pain-riddled intoxication, Kiyoshi realized that everything below his shoulders was disturbingly numb when he tried to carry himself toward his loathed boss and crashed painfully to the ground shortly after, hot tears bubbling in his punctured eye. Not only had Zetsu been stolen from him by that man, but possibly his ability to walk also, and that only fueled his rage toward Tarou and poisoned his tongue farther.

Kiyoshi heaved his shattered body across the ground with his arms towards Tarou, gritting his broken jaw. "Tarou! You…you took…everything I had…" He stretched out his twitching hand and groped at Tarou's ironed pantleg, causing the superior's trademark smirk was wiped from his greasy face and replaced dark frown when Kiyoshi tore at the clean fabric with his uprooted nails. "How dare..._dare you hurt Ayana and Zetsu. You basta-!" _

Five thuds rang out, the startling sound resonating off the metallic walls of the laboratory. Everyone stood in stunned silence with their gaping faces frozen, the events having transpired too quickly for their minds to process as they stared. Ryouta sat up and inhaled sharply through his nose, his nostrils burning with the scent of gunpowder which poisoned the air as he stared at Kiyoshi, his eyes flickering between the metallic bolts now embedded deeply in his back, before his eyes were drawn up towards the smoking barrel of Tarou's golden crossbow. Kiyoshi twitched violently, a fresh surge of blood rushing from his nose before he released a wheeze and his blue orbs rolled back in his head.

Tarou snorted, his grey orbs narrowing at Kiyoshi. "I do not take kindly to being accused of crimes I did not commit." He withdrew his weapon, glancing it over before his smirk returned. "This new prototype is beautiful. I'll have to get you another tune up soon, darling." He cooed to his beloved crossbow before sheathing it on his belt. Overcoming his dumbfoundment, Ryouta scrambled to Kiyoshi, checking the spurting bullet wounds which were riddled unnervingly close to the doctor's spine.

"Don't worry, I did not hit anything vital," Tarou reinsured Ryouta, eerily unfazed with the brutally he had just displayed as his hands returned to his pockets. "He'll live."

Ryouta stared upwards at Ryouta, his forest eyes catching ablaze and his jaw quivering as he ground his teeth and nostrils flared. He balled his fists until his nails dug into his palms and blood sprung from the crescent-shaped indents they made. He had always known Tarou was a bloodthirsty man, taking joy when K-MF-001 viciously tore into a fresh human body or read about the latest massacre of the war in the paper, but never did he think him capable of attacking one of his own, especially a man which had been on the edge of death already. His enraged thoughts of attacking the pig, the opportune being perfect as he was out of ammo, but were interrupted when one of the nurses jarred him.

"We have to get him to surgery now!" She whispered with tears flowing from her bloodshot eyes, thoroughly upset.

She was right, Ryouta realized, as he tore his eyes from Tarou and assisted the two nurses in hauling Kiyoshi's unconscious form onto the gurney, this time without disruption. He tossed another glare in Tarou's direction before the three of them rushed the bed towards the surgical bay for another emergency surgery. Once the doctors were gone, Tarou turned towards the disturbed crowd of employees who backed away in unison, huddled together like a frightened herd of deer surrounded by a pack of wolves.

"Alright, disperse. If you want to see your next paycheck, then I suggest you all get to work." He spoke. Misinterpreting their blood-hungry boss's words, everyone scattered to their respective stations without a moment's hesitation or suffer die consequences like Kiyoshi had. Once everyone was gone, Tarou smoothed out his black silk tie and looked around. "Now then, where is Toshi?"

After a bit of searching, which involved merely walking to the guard's office, he found Toshi slumped in his chair with his head hung over the back of the chair and mouth agape. First, he wondered if the man had been attacked also and required medical assistance, but that question was swiftly answered when the overweight man released a thundering snore.

"Toshi." Tarou barked with no reaction. "Toshi!"

Toshi jerked awake with a snort at the yell and his hand instantly went for his shock baton, nearly zapping the presumed intruder until he recognized the bulldog face of his employer.

"Tarou-sama, I'm so sorry!" Toshi blurted, replacing the fizzling rod on his belt.

"Toshi, have you been asleep all night?" Tarou asked, tone stern.

Toshi hesitated. "Well I…not all night. I must've dozed off for a few hours at most…"

"Is that so? Then why did you not attempt to prevent K-MF-084's abduction?"

Toshi gasped. "A-Abduction?"

Tarou sighed, it was painfully obvious the guard had lied and had actually been asleep the entire night and rather deeply at that if he had not heard any of the commotion. "Were the cameras active at least?"

"Y-Yes!" Toshi hunched over to the stacks of tape players which were smuggled beneath his desk and his fat sausage fingers hastily worked at the buttons to reverse each tape to the prior night. Once each timer clocked a few hours before midnight, he jabbed play and two men quietly observed the bewildering series of events which had taken place.

It began with a rather suspicious meeting between Kiyoshi and Ayana, making it perfectly clear that the nurse had been involved with her counterpart's scheming. How exactly Tarou was unsure. After the woman left, Kiyoshi made an unexpected visit to Toshi, not once but three times with refreshments and after the last visit, the doctor had a bright red card in hand and entered the basement elevator he normally had no access to.

Tarou sniffed. "Toshi, where is your clearance card?"

"Err…it's in my pocket, sir. Right…" Toshi heaved his wide frame from his chair and reached behind to his back pocket, only discover it void when he poked his fingers inside. "Wait…my card!" He patted his other pockets, all empty of said card. "Where is my card!? Kiyoshi he…he took my card!" Tarou was not convinced, however. Toshi had been involved in this conspiracy as well. Who else had been trespassing behind his back? Ryouta perhaps? The man seemed to loyal enough, but now, Tarou wondered who he could trust anymore.

"Wait…what is that?"

Toshi pointed at the monitor which oversaw the emergency elevator in the Infirmary Ward and displayed the alarms for the elevator triggering as the red lights spun and flashed. Seconds later, the doors began to open, trembling as they were clearly forced wide and a massive, dark figure stepped out from between them.

"Hmm…that would appear to be the monster that Kiyoshi was speaking of." Tarou remarked, analyzing the 'monster' which was actually a behemoth-sized man draped in dark clothing and had his face obscured with a matching bandanna and sunglasses to prevent identification. A professional. "That elevator is only known to employees of this laboratory. How did our guest know of it?"

"Someone told him?" Toshi guessed aloud. Tarou sniffed again. Someone indeed.

The monster man ducked into the wing which housed the children, meanwhile, Kiyoshi had successful extracted K-MF-084 from the underground floor vault and was darting for the elevator to return to the main floor. The unknown visitor departed from the Infirmary Ward, pausing at Toshi's office and Kiyoshi came running down the hallway, only to collide with the hulking man and unfolding into a brief confrontation between the two. Toshi swallowed thickly and looked away, his stomach churning as Kiyoshi was beaten savagely onscreen while Tarou stared on, unfazed. Afterwards, the intruder grabbed K-MF-084 and the paperwork Kiyoshi had stolen and shuffled back to his point of entrance to leave. He had known about K-MF-084. Toshi was convinced now, Kiyoshi must have some sort of involvement with his assailant. There were too many coincidences. The beating was staged, as was Ayana's, to throw off suspicion. The doctor had been so desperate to rescue K-MF-084 he was willing to sacrifice not only his life, but Ayana's also. It was disgusting.

"Oh god…Tarou-sama…I-I'm so sorry. If I hadn't fallen asleep I-I could have stopped him f-from taking K-MF-084 and hurting Kiyoshi." Toshi blabbered, voice bleeding remorse but his sobs fell on deaf ears. Toshi had assisted also, how else did that man infiltrate the laboratory so easily with him on duty, asleep or not? He had also disarmed the alarms from the elevator itself, only a process Toshi was aware of. Tarou's trigger finger itched but luckily for Toshi, he had spent all his quivers on Kiyoshi. Otherwise, he would have a new orifice decorating his forehead. Perhaps even several.

Tarou inhaled and exhaled deeply, soothing his flaring nerves. "Toshi, move aside please."

Toshi shoved his chair backwards without question and Tarou crammed his rotund form between his equally obese counterpart and the control panel towards the separate section reserved for tracking experiments. He dug in his dress shirt pocket and withdrew a perfect replica of Ryouta's card, a card Ryouta had no knowledge of him possessing, that he scanned and the vector monitor booted up with a whine before requesting the password. Once it was supplied, the blocky, green outlay of Kusagakure took a minute to load and proceeded with scanning the rendered village for K-MF-084's freshly implanted tracking device. It found nothing and Tarou slammed his fist on the keyboard, making the computer emit a confused beeping and Toshi jump.

"Bastard took her out of Kusagakure, I can't track her or activate her shut-off." Tarou sneered, smashing down his fist again. "She's probably on the other side of the fucking country by now. Goddamn you, Kiyoshi!"

"What will we do? The Council is coming today and are expecting us to hand her over." Toshi inputted timidly.

Tarou had no answer. He hadn't planned on handing over K-MF-084 to begin with, not so easily, but the thought of Kiyoshi having successfully smuggled her out made his blood boil. Once he awakened from his surgery, he would have to interrogate him vigorously for her location. Possessing the knowledge she was out there alive and happy, not only irked Tarou, but it was also the fact she was in the general public now. If her Mayfly decided to mutate and she became ravenous, it could quickly become linked back to Kusagakure and they would be responsible for the hostile takeover of the government from the Five Shinobi Nations to cease their operations. He would not be responsible for Kusagakure's second downfall because one of his employee got too attached to the merchandise.

The phone installed on the wall began to ring and Toshi scooted his chair over to answer it. "Hello?"

"Toshi-san." A woman's unsettled voice replied from the other side and Toshi recognized it as Yumi, the front desk receptionist of the hospital. "There are…people here. They say they are from the…Council?"

"The Council?" Toshi proclaimed out loud and Tarou casted him a curious look, lips heavy with a frown.

"The Council?" Tarou rolled back his sleeve and checked his golden wristwatch. "They aren't supposed to be here until noon. They're a few hours early."

Toshi covered the receiver and looked toward Tarou. "Err…what should we do? K-MF-084 is gone. How do we explain ourselves?"

Tarou sighed. "Unfortunately with the truth. There is no avoiding that. Our jobs were already being terminated so the worse punishment we can suffer is being scolded for being so neglectful between 001 and 084. Let them through."

"Err...ok." Toshi removed his hand. "Hey, Yumi-chan, you can let them through." The woman confirmed the decision and hung up with Toshi returning the phone to its cradle.

Tarou smoothed out the wrinkles in his sleeves and shirt, casting a distasteful look downward as his torn pantleg. "I'll greet them at the elevator." He said and squeezed past Toshi to exit the office only to stop in the gaping doorway. "Oh and Toshi? I suggest you don't get comfortable. Because once I have finished the Council, you and I will be having a small talk." With that, he left as he strolled towards the elevator, not noticing the mixture of confusion and terror branded on Toshi's greasy face.

It took several minutes from the initial call for the elevator to descend multiple stories into the underground laboratory and Toshi had managed to slowly waddle over in perfect time. The elevator chirped to signify its arrival before the doors chugged open to reveal it crammed to the brim with bodies cloaked in black combat armour with their faces concealed with a variety of equally black animal masks. The occupants marched out from the cramped room in unison, standing shoulder to shoulder in three lines of three before halting abruptly. The front line separated with the members kneeling down with their heads bowed as one of the most gorgeous woman Tarou had ever had the pleasure of setting his eyes on strutted out from within the formation. He had been anticipating one of the decrypted woman from the Council, not a goodness in the flesh.

The woman's sharp, golden eyes carefully analyzed the human hog before her purple lips twitched into a grimace. "You must be Tarou." She spoke, her voice smooth like a gravel pit.

"Yes, yes, that would be me. You must be from the Council. I am afraid I am not familiar with you. Who might you be?" Tarou held out a chunky hand, struggling to show a little class and not stare at her bountiful breasts that jutted from her parted kimono that left little to the imagination.

"I have no time for petty introductions." The woman hissed, spitting like a suddenly provoked cobra at Tarou friendliness; her attitude flipping like a dime and Tarou recoiled as though she had bitten him. "I've only come for the girl and paperwork."

A suffocating air of danger wafted from the woman and Tarou struggled to rediscover his voice as his words tumbled from his tongue. "Yes, well. I am sorry to say but…K-MF-084 has been stolen."

Her penciled eyebrows knotted. "Stolen?" The shrill word echoing harshly and the soldiers behind her shuffled anxiously. "How?"

"Akiayama Kiyoshi, the doctor which was in charge of K-MF-084's development, organized an elaborate kidnapping last night. The girl and all her original paperwork is gone. We are unable to track her due to her being taken outside of Kusagakure."

An impregnable silence swelled between both parties with Tarou apprehensively awaiting the Council woman's reaction as she stared blankly at him, rapping her purple, manicured nails on her arm. Finally, after an uncomfortable length of a minute, the woman cocked her hair, her black fringe flowing across her pure white face like a waterfall. "Do you have samples of the Mayfly, in the least?"

"Oh absolutely. We have samples of every Mayfly wielder that existed in Kusagakure in the last fifty years. If more samples are needed, we have frozen K-MF-001 for future extractions."

"That will suffice." The woman assured with a dismissive wave of the hand, surprising not only Tarou, but also the soldiers as an angry commotion erupted between them.

One of the shinobi even stepped forward to challenge the woman's controversial decision. "Sir! We came for the girl, not worthless samples! Lord Dan-"

"Excuse me!?" The woman shrieked, spinning around on her heel towards the faceless man. "Did you just refer me as…sir!?"

Before the officer could correct his bizarre mistake, the woman slashed her nails towards his throat, faster that the human eye could track and the man collapsed. He clenched his throat and screamed as burning blood bubbled from his neck, the scalding liquid making contact with his armour and bird mask and melting them away like paper in the rain along with skin. The other guards backed away, none attempting to assist their companion as he withered and convulsed on the ground in the growing pool of his own steaming blood.

The woman examined her violet polished nails which were wet with blood, unfazed by the screeching. "Pity, I did not lace the polish with enough of the poison. He should have died without seconds. I'll have to recalculate the formula." She wiped the crimson substance off on the inside of her dark purple kimono-like blouse before approaching the dying man whose yells had reduced into whimpers as he twitched, a majority of his armour having melted away as well as skin, leaving the raw muscle underneath exposed. She lifted her foot and stabbed her three-inch stiletto into the man's skull, ending his suffering as he went instantly limp and quiet.

"There has been a change to plans," The woman announced, now addressing the rest of the soldiers as she wiped clean her heel, leaving streaks of blood and brain matter on the floor. "I thank you all for escorting me to Kusagakure but you are all now relieved of your duties. Permanently." The last word echoed eerily through the metal corridor, shattering the previous mild atmosphere like glass.

Immediately, the military-class shinobi took offensive positions and drew a multitude of frightening weapons that made Tarou's crossbow look like a peashooter, while the woman remained lax, an exhilarated smirk crossing her face and golden orbs flickering like flames. Tarou wisely backed away from the looming altercation and a few of the doctors which were passing through the hall unwisely stopped to watch.

"By attacking us you have announced your betrayal of -"

"I could not care less." The woman interrupted and lifted her arm, an emerald-scaled boa constrictor ejecting from her sleeve with the quickness of a bullet.

The snake collided with the face of one of the soldiers and shattered his ceramic dog mask before wounding its thick body around the man's neck. The shinobi blindly swung his machete at the serpent, narrowly chopping off his own arm in the process and the snake tightened its hug in the man's throat causing him to choke and gasp when his precious air supply was cut off. Another solider attacked the snake and cleanly sliced its ugly head off which fell to the ground in a bloody lump, twitching and forked tongue waggling. However, its body did not relent on its death grip, actually squeezing harder and the serpent's headless stump convulsed before two more heads sprouted out along with their own bodies like a hydra. The solider which had decapitated the serpent swung their weapon again at one of the new heads and mutated vermin smoothly dodged the blade with the heads retaliating against the assailant, one mouth clamping onto their weapon and the other aiming for their throat. Another shinobi quickly intercepted the attacking head, cutting it off but seconds later, two more had grown from the spurting stub and proceeded to surge at them.

The solider which had been strangled the entire time collapsed, his face gone purple and two of his comrades rushed to help, cutting away at the body to relieve the pressure. As they did, tinier snakes sprung from the incisions and attacked, digging their small fangs into their hands and pumping them with lethal poison that caused the shinobis to fall over and seize as the venom instantly paralyzed them. Within minutes at the soldiers were outnumbered as the snake multiplied into a grotesque pile of squirming bodies and heads with each cut and slice and jutsu they made and one by one, the shinobi went down, paralyzed from its poison or suffocated by their bodies to the point of unconsciousness. Once the last man hit the floor, the cluster of slithering snakes shuttered violently before erupting into a cloud of smoke. The mortified crowd which had been watching dispersed, questioning an early retirement and scratching at the tingling feeling beneath their skin as they did. Tarou tentatively shuffled back, staring at the pile of bodies they woman had effortlessly created but instead of fear a normal person would experience, he was overcome with a warm and fuzzy feeling. He might have just found his soulmate.

After taking a moment to admire her own work, the woman turned toward Tarou with smirk tattooed to her pale face. "Now, we can talk. I'll have you know that I just spared the lives of you and your entire staff. Originally, I was ordered to eliminate everyone in this laboratory after we obtained the Mayfly. The Council did not want any witnesses that could potentially talk later on about the affairs which could be tracked back to us. It would give other countries reason for a hostile invasion if they knew we had been weaponizing the Mayfly for war. Luckily for you, I never intended on handing over the Mayfly. Those fools of the Council had their chance with the Mayfly during the Second War, and they wasted it. The same with reviving the Senju. It's my turn now. So, I purpose to you a deal."

"What sort of deal?" Tarou inquired. The woman hunched over to eye level with Tarou and he recoiled from the smothering scent of perfume that smelt as cheap as the white make-up caked on her face.

"You give me the Mayfly and I won't kill everyone here for it. Simple as that." Tarou swallowed hard, his throat audibly clicking and the woman tossed her head back as she erupted in a fit of cackling. Tarou flushed. "Don't look so grave, I am joking of course. I need everyone here alive if I desire to revive the Mayfly successfully, but only if you agree. I desire to see Kusagakure's restoration as much as you do but only in exchange for an army once the Mayfly has been brought back from the brink, nothing that has not been preached to you before. You all will be going your duties as normal, except the difference will be that you are now working for me instead of the Council. An improvement, I ensure you. I shall educate your people better on the Mayfly and supply you with improved samples and test subjects so you no longer have to pull from the dwindling pool that is Kusagakure's population at risk of being discovered. It is a remarkable deal, if you ask me, and you have little choice in the matter. If you decline, then I have no reason to allow anyone here to live."

The woman was correct, Tarou had little to no wiggle room in this if he wished to live. Oh and his staff too. The deal would be no different either except their superior and he got to keep his job for a little longer. A wise man would agree, which Tarou was, and also he both feared and admired this woman too much to decline after witnessing what she had done to elite shinobi in a single breath. "Very well, I agree to your terms and accept your deal."

"Brilliant." The woman purred, rejecting Tarou's grimy hand for a second time when he held it out to secure the deal. "You are a smart man, Tarou. Unfortunately, due to the loss of K-MF-084 and death of 001, this project has been derailed tremendously due to your incompetence. It will take months to recover from such a blow and due to this, I see absolutely no use to your presence. Goodbye."

Tarou stumbled back, fat chin trembling when the woman lifted her arm again and from the dark depths of her sleeve, he perceived two yellow eyes staring back at him. Before the snake had a chance to attack, Tarou held out his hands and screamed out, "Wait, wait! W-We still have one more subject with the Mayfly!"

The woman quirked an eyebrow, her arm remaining cocked to release the impatient snake which hissed lowly but she allowed the pig to speak. "Do you?"

The overweight man recoiled himself enough to explain. "A nurse named Ayana. According to her records, her father possessed the Mayfly and was executed during the Second World War. She has never been tested but it's possible she possesses a dormant Mayfly gene. If she does, she can replace both 084 and 001."

There was a moment of tense silence before the woman lowered her arm and Tarou released the breath he had been holding. "Very well. Test the girl immediately. I will see to it that you do not screw this up also."

"Thank you, ma'am." Tarou spoke as he removed his death grip from the hilt of his pistol he had secretly grabbed ahold when the woman turned away and dabbed the sweat beaded on his face from his close brush with death.

The woman analyzed the unconscious soldiers on the floor before addressing Tarou again. "Considering these men my parting gift. It is far too dangerous to return with them after the events which have transpired. I will inform the Council of their unfortunate passing during our hazardous travel thought war-torn country. The poison paralyzed their chakra systems and bodies so they should give you little resistance."

"Thank you ma'am."

The woman stepped through the sea of bodies, carelessly walking atop some and spilling blood with the sharp edge of her heels as she navigated her way to the elevator. "I shall return in a few months. I have matters to conclude in that godforsaken village and afterwards, I will relocate to Kusagakure temporarily. I except that girl to be tested and ready for my return, understood?"

"Understood ma'am."

"Perfect. I will be looking to that time, Tarou." The doors chugged closed upon the woman's grinning white face with her elongated canines gleaming before vanishing as the elevator slowly ascended back to the hospital.

Once she was gone, Tarou readjusted his tie and left to the surgery bay to check on Ayana's condition and order her immediate detection while she was tested for the Mayfly and Kiyoshi's and Toshi's interrogation of the whereabouts of K-MF-084. Later after that, he would have to price rings for his future wife.

…

**AN: **_Holy hell. This chapter. First, I want to apologize immensely for the amount of time it took for this chapter to be published since the last. A new college semester began so I was swamped with work which I barely survived. Once the semester concluded, the holidays happened and I was occupied with gift-buying and decorating until New Year's. Also, I underestimated the sheer size of this chapter. Summarized, it sounded short and sweet but the more I wrote, the longer and longer it went. It also explains if it seems choppy since I had to write the whole thing in pieces to save time. _

_With that said, I am pleased to say __**this is the end of OCs **__(Except one which will be a main character). From this chapter on, it will be completely focused on the Akatsuki. We will see everyone again, seeing as this plotline has ended on a cliffhanger, but it will not be for a long, long, long time. Not until the third act of the story and since each act will be at least 20-30 chapters. It will be awhile, sorry. _

_I will begin writing the next chapter at once but after that chapter, the story will be on hiatus again because the new semester is starting, along with tutoring in the summer, as I am concluding the writing requirements of my degree, but also because I will be having to plan and rearrange the next chapters afterwards since it will be a lot of filer. I am going to be rewriting a few chapters too which will take time.  
_

_Anyways, I hope your enjoyed this chapter in all its drama and shotty goodness and will be around for the next chapter. Thank you and remember, kind comments are loved and critiques are accepted as long as they are consecutive nut destructive. _

_**Next Chapter: **__Kakuzu returns to the Akatsuki with the Mayfly in hand and her future will be decided. _

_Until next time. _


	13. Arc 1: Chapter 12

**AN:** _This chapter will be far calmer than the last so those sensitive to violence can breathe easily for now as it's just a lot of dialogue. The violence and gore, however, will be back strong next chapter._

_Enjoy_

**Warning(s): Language (Mid), Genderbend (Low), OoC (Konan)**

…

**Wasteland**

**Act 1**

**Chapter 12**

It took three days through abysmal weather to return to the Land of Rivers and Kakuzu had never been so pleased to see the waterlogged country again. He was wet, hungry, sore and irked. He desired nothing more than a hot shower and food and to collapse onto his back-breaking mattress for a day of rest. Thankfully, the girl remained blissfully unconscious the entire travel and if Kakuzu suspected her of rousing, a quick pinch to the neck rendered her out of it again. He didn't need her escaping with her little trick after he went through Hell and back, twice.

On the third day, the storm had dispersed and the clouds had thinned enough for the moon to peek out from between them, illuminating the land and making navigation easier for Kakuzu as he trudged through ankle deep mud and circled flooded river banks. By it clocked midnight, his dinky little cabin was in sight with its windows glimmering, a mile trek more. If it hadn't been for the mud, he would have broken out into a run for the sweet sanctuary. It took a half-an-hour more but he was finally home as he kicked in the rotting front door and dragged himself in the warm home which was faintly lit with oil-based lanterns and the flames dancing in the lit fireplace. He dumped the girl on the hardwood floor as he shouldered off his coat and hung it up to dry on the coat rack, tucking his sunglasses and bandana in the pocket before grasping her by the back of the neck like a kitten and carrying her through the hallway towards the door to the basement. His only prayer now was that his unnamed Leader was present.

He shoved open the door and from the stairwell below, he saw a light dancing on the floor and walls, signaling someone's presence. Leader was in the basement, seated at the old desk which had been left there to rot and doing miscellaneous paperwork when Kakuzu climbed down the stairs, the man looking rough for wear with his long, brown hair wet and fizzed and a scowl on his stitched lips. Before the ginger could greet his comrade and question that smell, the miser tossed two items at the foot of his desk that landed with a heavy thud and plopped in the sitting chair with his arms crossed. Leader leant over his desk to observe what the brunette had dumped, discovering a heavyset bag and a child crumpled on the ground before slowly sitting back down and casting Kakuzu a flat look that was amplified by his ringed orbs. "Do you care to explain yourself?"

"Where the fuck do I begin?" Kakuzu exclaimed with his stitched lips cocked back in a scowl as he swiped back his damp bangs from his face.

"Perhaps with the mission Iwagakure contacted us about? Or who this child is?"

Kakuzu's mind was so exhausted that the thought of the sheer size of the explanation required made it spin. He decided to make it as short and sweet as possible so he could retire to his chambers as soon as possible. "Are you aware of the Mayfly?"

"The Mayfly? Yes, I am quite aware of it. A bloodline so infamous, it is rare to encounter someone whom has not heard of it. Especially with the Second World War being such a recent and raw wound." Leader spoke, the mention of the extinct Kekkei Genkai surprising him and peeking his curiosity as he leant forward in his seat with his hand prompted beneath his chin, awaiting an explanation as he toyed with the silver ring on his finger.

"That was the answer to your first question. To answer your second question," Kakuzu leant over in his chair to snag the filthy girl by the nape again and held her up for Leader to see. "This child possesses the Mayfly." He dropped her again carelessly and heaved himself from the tiny chair, purposely ignoring the other man's bewildered looks and hoping he could save his questions for the following morning after he had a full night's sleep and satisfied stomach and could tolerate being bombarded. Unfortunately, he could only dream.

"Wait, wait." Leader interjected, standing from his chair and prepared to prevent Kakuzu from leaving his "office" as the brunette was already crouched beneath the short doorframe. "You did not answer my questions, you created more. Sit down and give me a proper detailing of the mission from Iwagakure." With an irritated sigh, Kakuzu slumped back in the minuscule seat like a pouting toddler and Leader calmly sat back down also, patiently awaiting the for the man to simmer down so he did not suffer the sharp end of the tanned male's infamous rage.

After gathering himself for a moment, Kakuzu inhaled deeply and proceeded with the lengthy and clusterfuck of a tale of his entanglement with Iwagakure, Kusagakure and the Mayfly. His company quietly listened to the older man's account which swiftly transformed from coherent storytelling for the first portion into aimless ranting then into sleep-deprived rambling which lasted the majority of it.

After approximately ten minutes, Kakuzu concluded his jumbled report and it took Leader a moment to piece it together to the best of his ability into a rational narrative. "So, if I understand correctly. Iwagakure contacted us, due to evidence they had gather connecting Kusagakure with the Mayfly. When you arrived, you were ambushed at the stronghold by a being possessing the Mayfly which slaughtered the army stationed there before it was killed by their leader in a suicide attack. Afterward, you infiltrated a laboratory the Mayfly originated from and recovered this girl who possesses the Mayfly?"

"Yes." Kakuzu confirmed, stroking his temples to dull the warning signs of an approaching migraine. It sounded more insane when he heard it spoken back to him.

It was such a magical tale to digest, but Leader had little to no zero reason to be skeptical of the other man. Not only because the Kakuzu had been fiercely loyal to him and the Akatsuki during their short contract together, but also he seriously doubted he would bother to fabricate such a story to justify the kidnapping of a single child and some papers that would otherwise be useless to them unless they were worth an easy buck.

"Very well." Leader said, now just as eager to conclude this conversation as Kakuzu so the exhausted man could rest after such a draining adventure. Also, he could feel a distinct throbbing forming behind his eyes. "May I review the documents you retrieved?"

"Be my guest." Kakuzu granted, kicking the duffle bag closer to Leader and it slumped alongside his desk.

"Thank you. I suggest you restrain the girl tonight. If this girl does indeed possess the Mayfly, we cannot have her escaping. Otherwise, she might be gone forever and we will have lost a very valuable asset to the Akatsuki."

"Don't need to tell me twice." Kakuzu grumbled as he stood again and grasped the girl by the back of her dingy gown. The thought of losing the girl after the hell he had endured made his blood simultaneously boil and run cold.

With a wave of the hand, Leader dismissed Kakuzu as he unzipped the bag to begin reading the mountains of typed paperwork within and Kakuzu departed from his makeshift office, heaving the girl along the stairs like a corpse as he climbed them to the main floor. He settled for skipping a much needed shower and hot meal, being too fatigued to do either as crossed the hallway to his room. He shouldered the door open and the tossed the unconscious girl inside, his sleepy brain amused by how her malnourished body tumbled into the wall and slumped limp onto the ground. Once his brief entertainment was brought to an end, his mind diverted to a method of tethering the girl to prevent any and all attempts of escape, especially that with the Mayfly.

Due to his imprisonment, Kakuzu had no involvement during the Second World War and therefore no direct contact with the Mayfly so his experience with it was limited, mostly being secondhand or hearsay. A popular myth had been that the Mayfly could not phase through metal and there had been rumours of soldiers equipping themselves with metal armour so they could not be dragged away into the night or made into flesh hand puppets. He never knew if it had been true, but he had nothing better to go on at the moment as he left his room to search the house for something metallic to bind his unwelcomed guest. After a few minutes of searching in the dark, he scrounged up an old iron chain that had been used to lock the front door when he 'acquired' the cabin and had been tossed aside. He returned to his room and after a second of thinking, enveloped the chain around the girl's concave waist then around the space heater beneath the window. This way it hopefully prevented the girl's use of the Mayfly and after that, the only means of liberation would be by means of yanking the heater from the wall or bisecting herself. Certainly not a quiet escape.

With the girl firmly secured, Kakuzu stripped down and collapsed into bed, passing out within moments of his face colliding with his stale pillow.

…

The next morning, Kakuzu did not awaken until several hours after noon and it took an extra hour to conjure the strength to heave himself from his firm mattress which was abnormally comfortable in his groggy state. His first course of action once he roused himself enough was to check on the girl and discovered she hadn't moved a single inch the entire night from her slouched position and he had to check her pulse to ensure she hadn't suddenly died while he had been asleep. Confirming she was indeed alive and well, he got up and left his room to proceed with his morning routine which begun with a necessary shower. The wash-down lasted a half-an-hour and water ice cold until Kakuzu was confident enough that he had scrubbed off the disgusting layers of dirt and sweat leftover from Kusagakure from his skin and hair. For breakfast he cooked up an entire carton of a dozen eggs and pound of bacon then topped it off with another pound of sausage and covered them in a fine coat of salt which he washed down with a pot of pure black coffee to satisfy his complaining stomach that was so starved it had been feasting on its own internal lining. Clean and fed, he dressed (checking on the girl again) and descended into back the basement to speak with Leader and finally discuss the girl's fate now that he was refreshed.

Leader was reviewing the notes he had jotted down from the paperwork he had spent the night combing through when Kakuzu stepped into his office. The two men greeted each other and Kakuzu noticed the ginger man's partner was still missing in action. He had only seen her a handful of times but never spoken with her since he had been affiliated with the organization and presumed Leader had her running on errands for him like Kakuzu did.

"Did you read the paperwork?" Kakuzu asked as sat down in front of Leader's desk, the chair creaking beneath his gorged weight.

"I did. All of it." Leader answered, gesturing towards the towers of paperwork that had been neatly stacked alongside the futon behind him and Kakuzu lifted his eyebrows in amazement. There was at least a few thousand pages. Impressive.

"What did you learn about the girl?"

"A lot of things. Many quite horrible for such a young child. It was fortunate we acquired her when we did." His superior remarked, shaking his head.

"Anything about the Mayfly?" Kakuzu pressed, short patience already thinning. He couldn't less about the girl's past, he just needed to know if she possessed the Mayfly.

Leader sighed, stroking the piercing jutting from his bottom lip. Kakuzu's intentions were crystal clear and he was not ashamed of that. "Yes. From her records, I can confirm she is a full-blooded wielder of the Mayfly," If Kakuzu had a happy dance- he wouldn't be doing it because he was too prideful to engage in such idiotic gestures- but he certainly didn't prevent the grin that split across his stitched cheeks. He felt as though he had just won the lottery and he basically had. If he had completed the initial mission addressed him, just obtaining evidence of the Mayfly for Iwagakure, the payout would have been chump change compared to the unimaginable fortune this girl was worth. He would ignite the largest bidding war the world had ever witnessed and secure his financial future (and the Akatsuki's) for the foreseeable future. Probably even the length of his immortal life if he budgeted it wisely. "However, we cannot sell her." That statement killed Kakuzu's mood quickly. Nothing lit his fuse faster than having his one admiration denied or questioned: money.

"Why not!?" The burette barked, lurching from his chair with his fists clenched, threads sprouting from his tattooed wrists and whipping about like agitated snakes.

Leader's purple, ringed orbs flashed dangerously and silently warning Kakuzu the dire consequences if he attempted to assault him as he leant back in his chair. "Because two reasons. One being, that while I did confirm the girl does possess the Mayfly, there was no evidence recorded of her ability to use it."

"She doesn't need to be able use it. People would buy her for her blood and body alone." Kakuzu argued, the threads retracting for the time being and Leader finally blinked to remoisten his burning eyes.

"That is true, yes."

"So what is your second reason?"

"Because she is too valuable to the Akatsuki to sell off."

"Bullshit. You yourself just said she was incapable of the Mayfly. So what possible use to the Akatsuki would she be except a blank check?" Kakuzu snarled, jabbing his finger at the other man's chest and Leader eyed it distastefully, his Rinnegan dilating.

"The Mayfly is the pinnacle of shinobi evolution. Wielders are capable of erasing their chakra signature to be invisible and have acute senses sharp enough to detect someone miles away. It would benefit the Akatsuki greatly in countless ways. She is priceless to us."

"Don't give me a fucking history lesson." Kakuzu retracted his finger and Leader smoothed out the wrinkled spot it had been on his old Akatsuki uniform. "This brat is worth more than any person in this hell, yours and mine included, and you want to piss away this opportunity of a lifetime on a gamble?"

"Yes I do."

Kakuzu smashed his fist on Leader's desk and the poor furniture lurched backward with a large crack shooting through the middle on the surface while the paperwork arranged on it was thrown about from the force. Leader's eye twitched, unfazed by the man's angry outburst though peeved his cherished, organized paperwork was now everywhere. "You're out of your fucking mind."

"No, I am perfectly within my mindset." Leader rebutted as he coolly stood from his seat and leant over to pick up the pages scattered around his sandals, sighing internally at the thought of the amount of time it would take to reassemble them. "This girl, Zetsu, is a blissing in disguise. If Iwagakure had not contacted us, we would have never known about the existence of the Mayfly until it was used against us. With her in our possession, she shall be a perfect weapon for the Akatsuki."

"A kunai is worthless with a dull blade. This girl is of no importance to the Akatsuki without her mastery of the Mayfly." Kakuzu reiterated, flexing his hand as the stitches from his bite wound from the girl were loosened from his outburst and droplets of blood bloomed through.

"With simple chakra control and training, she can unlock the Mayfly and master it. All we need is patience."

Kakuzu barked aloud with laughter at the absurd suggestion. "'Patience?' The proficiency of Kekkei Genkai can take years, or even the user's entire lifetime to perfect. It is a last cause, and who do you intend to teach her this 'simple chakra control and training' when there is no one else left with the Mayfly to mentor her? Are you going to teach her about a Kekkei Genkai you do not own yourself?"

"No. I intend for you to do that, Kakuzu." Leader stood back up and arranged his recovered paperwork in a neat stack before resting it on the corner of his crippled desk, only for it to slip down the concaved surface and topple to the floor again much to his frustration.

Suddenly, Kakuzu's amused cackling halted abruptly and a tense silence blanketed the two men as he went deathly silent, the calm before the impending storm. "…excuse me?"

Thankfully, the storm was temporarily postponed when Leader diverted his gaze up to meet Kakuzu's scalding glare only to catch a glimpse of his savior standing quietly behind the brunette's massive frame. "Ah, Konan."

Kakuzu glanced over his shoulder to see the blue-haired woman standing stoic behind him, having not even heard a single footstep of her approaching down the stairwell. The woman's copper orbs briefly met Kakuzu's bloodshot ones before they stared passed him to settle on her partner. "I've returned with an update about the project." She spoke vaguely in Kakuzu's presence before noticing the disarray the basement had been thrown in and quirking an eyebrow.

Leader nodded, polishing one of his black nose piercings with his thumb. "Perfect. You arrived at an ideal time, Konan. We have a new member."

Konan frowned deeply, her lip piercing protruding. "A new member?" She glanced at Kakuzu who was clearly fuming, his fists clenched as his knuckles bleached white as he glared razor sharp daggers at Leader. She speculated the source of his displeasure. "I thought we agreed we would not recruit anymore new members until the Akatsuki was adequately funded and relocated." Kakuzu snorted loudly.

"We have obtained the only living person with the Mayfly."

Konan's eyes widened. "The Mayfly?" She questioned quietly, tone weighed with disbelief. She had not heard that bloodline spoken of since the baffling headlines proclaiming the bizarre demise of the bloodline from 'unknown conditions' after the Second World War. _"How?"_

"Iwagakure contacted us and Kakuzu retrieved it." Leader replied simply, too simply to curb her bewilderment, and focused back on Kakuzu who was sneering with his arms crossed so tightly the stitches on his biceps were stretching and the thread padding inside was visible. "Kakuzu. We can resume our discussion later. Right now, would you kindly introduce Konan to our newest recruit?" Without a word, Kakuzu snarled at the request and stomped from the office with Konan safely stepped aside from his warpath, his fury resonating from him and washing over her like a heatwave.

She spared her partner a curious look and the ginger shook his head as he gestured her to leave, preferring to explain it later before crouching to pick up his discarded paperwork yet again. Konan shook her head, undecided about the sudden decision that had been made without her consent but did not voice her concerns about it at that moment. She would save her mounting questions for later as she departed up the stairwell after Kakuzu to meet this new, unknown member of the organization with the Mayfly before Kakuzu got his hands on them in one of his fits of blind rage she had been advised about.

Kakuzu stampeded to his room and slammed the door behind him with enough strength that the poor slab of wood shuddered violently in its frame and dust cascaded from the planks of the surrounding foundation. The closet door did not spare any better, as a second later, his fist was embedded in it and the rotten sliding door exploded in half, collapsing onto the floor in a plume of soot and splinters. He recoiled his throbbing hand, the stitching had finally torn and blood spilled from the bite wound along with impact sites of slivers of wood which had become embedded in his skin also. His distraction with the injury was short-lived when a muffled sobbing from the opposite side of the room invaded his ears. It appeared his guest was finally awake.

The girl was whimpering and sniveling, oblivious to her captor as her bony hands clawed at the chains shackled around her trembling waist. Kakuzu reared over her, cloaking her teeny body in his sizable shadow and her glistening, golden orbs snapped up at him instantly, widening into dinner plates as the tears flooded down her face like a breached dam. Kakuzu sneered when her whimpering dissolved into a low keening noise and she released a short scream as his hand lashed out and her clamped a handful of her slimy hair, wrenching her head up so her ugly mug fully faced him.

"You useless, little shit! The only worth you are is dead! I should tear off your disgusting head and sell your body parts! That is the only benefit you ever will be to the Akatsuki! To think you are all that it left of such a glorified bloodline is disgraceful! What a fucking joke!" The girl sobbed and dug her overgrown nails in Kakuzu's hand as he yanked on her hair, the old stitches on the side of her head opening and blood straining her scalp. Her resistance only made him pull harder and she cried out. "Shut your fucking mouth!"

"What are you doing!?" Came a horrified shout behind him.

Konan had just entered the room, after unsuccessfully knocking on the door for the last minute, only to walk onto Kakuzu screaming at a child she had never seen before. She had no time to ask one of the million questions bombarding her mind, or rather chose not to, as her maternal instinct kicked in full swing and she was wrenching Kakuzu away from the quaking child. An impressive feat considering Kakuzu had a substantial advantage over her in both height and weight. Once Kakuzu was safely away, she crouched next to the crying girl and her horror was amplified upon closer inspection of the young child. The sickly girl was in the most atrocious condition Konan had ever witnessed and she was baffled how the poor thing was alive. She was breathing skeleton, not an ounce of muscle or fat on her with her dirty skin draped over her bones like a sheet and her large, yellow eyes sunken inside her outlined skull and nearly invisible past the snarled, green bird's nest on her head. It looked if she moved her skin would rip like the tissue paper of the stained gown she wore. With this came anger, when Konan saw the thick chaining constricting her to the wall heater and the blood dripping from her tear-streaked face. The woman turned toward the disgruntle Kakuzu who had been silently watching from a distance. If Konan possessed the Sharingan, Kakuzu would dead where he stood from the pure intensity of the glare that penetrated through his skull.

"What did you do?" Konan spat, orange orbs flickering like untamed balls of fire.

Kakuzu shrugged and crossed his arms, using his shirt to soak up the bleeding from his hand. "I was merely punishing the little monstrosity."

"Monstrosity? She's just a child!"

Kakuzu snorted at the amusing suggestion. "A child? That thing is not a child. It's an abomination of nature."

The girl's choked sobs increased in intensity from the insult and Konan removed her spiteful looks from Kakuzu as she concentrated on freeing the girl from her cruel restrains while whispering comforts to quell her tears. After a minute of fiddling, she loosening the chain and tossed it aside before attempting to help the girl to her feet only for her to immediately collapse into Konan's arms as her bone-thin legs gave out. Konan supported the girl against her hip as she escorted her out of the room and Kakuzu stepped aside to allow her past, averting his eyes to avoid Konan's sullen glowering though could feel his face grow warm from the ferocity of it. Once Konan had left his room with the girl, he slammed the door closed behind them. This time two of the hinges shattering from the force and leaving the door tittering on the last swivel.

He charged to his desk and sat down, burying his hands in his hair as he yanked some of the strands out by the roots in his over-boiling frustration. His ventilation was short-lived however, as a minute later, there was an unwelcomed knocking on his door. With a roar, Kakuzu stomped over to the door and threw it open, successful ripping it from the last hinge as it flew across his room and struck the wall with a frightening crash that dislodged a few planks of the termite eaten wood. In the hallway stood Leader, who calmly stared at Kakuzu, completely indifferent to the outburst he had just witnessed.

"What, the fuck, do you want?" Kakuzu asked him, voice low and jaw trembling as he resisted the overwhelming urge to scream at the other man and grab ahold of his throat. Unless he had come to apologize for the audacities committed against him before, Kakuzu did not promise himself he would restrain himself for long from acting upon his homicidal tendencies.

"I came to give you the notes I wrote down from the girl's paperwork." Leader handed over his notebook, tapping the hardcover which had "Notebook #14 Zetsu/Mayfly Notes" scrawled on it in marker. "I recorded everything I thought was important. In my attempt to reduce the amount of reading, I filled the entire book with notes. But it an easier and shorter read then thousands of papers of medical reports and entries I assure you." The offering was not an apology and Kakuzu did not accept it as he glared at Leader, his fingers twitching as they were seconds away from planting themselves in his superior's neck.

Noting the sour looks pointed at him, the ginger man sighed. "I realize you are unhappy with me, Kakuzu, but I ask that you save your objections for when we can properly discuss this. Right now, I would like you to study up on this girl and the Mayfly. The information is as interesting as it is beneficial. Would you kindly?" After a staring contest for a wearisome minute, Kakuzu finally reached forward and snatched the spiral book from Leader's hand, clenching it so hard that the reinforced cover actually began to bend in his palm. "Thank you. I leave tomorrow morning and Konan will stand in my place until I return so if you wish to discuss the matter of the Mayfly again, I suggest you read that notebook and report to me tonight." Kakuzu huffed and reached out to slam his bedroom door in the man's face, his hand groping empty air for a second before remembering his door was now busted on the floor. Instead, he settled for marching back into his room, not noticing Leader's mouth twist in an entertained smirk before the other man departed back to the dark confines of his office.

Kakuzu sat at his desk and threw down the crumbled notebook, glaring at it for several minutes in hopes it would catch a light and burn into cinders. When it sadly did not, he picked it up and flipped open the arched cover, glancing over the notes that had been written inside with neat cursive. After thumbing through a few pages, he returned to the first page and switched on the lantern on his desk to begin reluctantly reading.

**...**

Two hours later of speed reading through the secondhand report, Kakuzu closed the battered notebook and proceeded to throw it so hard at his broken closet door the book embedded itself into the cardboard-like wood. If Leader had thought that having Kakuzu read through the book would change his position on the girl, he was sadly mistaken because they had only achieved in making Kakuzu more determined in selling the girl off and not allowing her to have anything to do with the Akatsuki except for a fat paycheck. The Mayfly Man in Kusagakure had just been the tip of the iceberg and Kakuzu hadn't witnessed half of the atrocities the Mayfly was capable of. He understood now why the Five Nations had been so terrified of the Mayfly and according to conspiracy theorists, had secretly organized the bloodline's total annihilation.

However, it was impossible to blame the girl for her bloodline, she certainly hadn't chosen to be born with it and probably would not have, and he even felt slightly a tiny bit bad for her after reading a dozen pages of every procedure and surgery that had been performed on her. From countless blood tests for gallons of blood to bone marrow biopsies of nearly every bone in her body and spinal taps on every vertebrae and even several brain biopsies. There wasn't an inch on the girl which hadn't been poked and prodded and while Kakuzu was not fond of children, even he believed a child should never have to experience such trauma. That did not change his view on the Mayfly though and he wasn't about to pity her because of it and allow her to remain like a stray from the rain. She was a ticking time bomb and needed to be removed now before the Akatsuki regretted it.

Now that he was properly caught up on the Mayfly it was time for a chat with Leader as Kakuzu got up from his desk and walked over to his collapsed closet door, jerking the book from it before departing for his gaping doorway. He would have to repair his door later, or just tape up a blanket for privacy. Probably the latter.

Meanwhile, Konan had finished the tedious task of washing the girl and was dressing her in an extra pair of clothing of her own she had scrounged up. It had taken nearly an hour to scrub the layers of hardened dirt and filth from the poor girl's skin, piling it off like scabs to reveal her colourless flesh beneath that was littered with perfectly straight scars made from scalpels and indents from syringes, revealing a medical hell of a past. There was also a crude tattoo that read '084' inked down the base of her neck, directly across her jutting vertebrae. She had attempted to wash the girl's long hair too, hoping the shampoo would loosen the snarled green locks so she could brush them out but the hair was so badly matted from years of neglect that the soap did little deter the knots except clean them. In the end, to Konan's dismay, she had to shave the girl's hair off for the next hour, years of growth fluttering to the ground until the girl was left with an inch of hair on her head in a butch-cut style. The girl, while bewildered by her new haircut, did not seem upset as she observed herself in the bathroom mirror and Konan was positive there was a relief as the hair had to be painful with its knots that yanked on the roots. With the girl squeaky clean, Konan briefly left the bathroom and returned with her own clothing she was found left over from her last stay.

"There, much better, yes?" Konan said as she adjusted the muscle shirt on the girl's slumped shoulders. Konan was not a large woman, but even the shirt which fit her perfectly was comically large on the girl's petite, starved form as it appeared more a dress than a shirt.

The girl said nothing, merely nodding. It had taken Konan some time to coax the girl into the bathtub, who clearly unfamiliar with it, and even longer to convince her that the scissors and razor she had used to shave her hair would not harm her. After some tears and attempted escapes, the girl now sat quietly on the toilet, considerably calmer as she fiddled with the hem of gifted shirt.

Konan crouched down in front of her, sparing her a sweet smile. "Now that drama is over, why don't you and I introduce ourselves to each other? I am Konan." The girl did not respond, her caramel eyes staring at Konan. Konan did not pressure her for her own name as she was obviously shy and no doubt still recovering from the shock of everything which had happened today between Kakuzu and Konan. She would merely ask Pein later if he knew it. "Alright, then why don't we feed you? I can't imagine how hungry you must be." Hungry? The girl must have been starved the majority of her life to be so thin and Konan wouldn't be shocked if she ate an entire horse.

Konan stood and helped the child to her feet, supporting her by her arms as her knobby knees knocked together from the pressure placed on her skinny legs. She helped the girl out of the disordered bathroom, Konan settling for cleaning it later, and down the hallway towards the kitchen. Unfortunately, Kakuzu chose that moment to step out from his room and the two parties collided. Immediately, the girl began whimpering and pressed herself against Konan's legs to hide and the woman glared at the dark-skinned man distastefully. Kakuzu just snorted and eyed the girl, making her shiver beneath the weight of his scalding gaze.

"I see you washed the hellion," Kakuzu remarked to Konan. "And cut her hair also so now we all have to suffer her hideous little mug." The girl's bottom lip trembled, clearly understanding the insults being thrown at her, and Konan quickly hurried her away from the man, glowering at him as she did. Unfazed, Kakuzu resumed his journey as he descending into the cellar that doubled as an office and bedroom for his superior.

"That woman had already begun babying that girl. Typical female." Kakuzu grumbled to himself as he climbed the stairs down though he had spoken it loud enough that Leader heard the misogynist comment towards his partner.

"Konan? I would be lying if I said I was surprised. She had always had a weakness for children, especially those in such a desperate situation as Zetsu. I'd ask you speak of her more respectively, Kakuzu. She is my partner therefore your superior also," Leader said, signing a paper and shuffling it to the stacking pile beside him, having reclaimed all his paperwork and neatly reorganized them on his damaged desk which had been quickly patched with duct tape. "Did you read through the notes?"

"Yes."

"Perfect, we can have an appropriate conservation about the Mayfly now that we are both educated on it. Now, please share your thoughts."

"You're fucking insane."

Leader frowned, that certainly was not the response he expected but perhaps he had been too optimistic with Kakuzu. He had never met someone so difficult to please. "I thought that once you read my research notes you would be more welcoming to idea of recruiting Zetsu with her Mayfly, but obviously I was mistaken." He laid down his pen and folded his hands together as he leant back in his swivel chair. "What is the issue this time, Kakuzu?"

"Don't give me that bullshit," Kakuzu tossed the notebook on leader's desk, knocking aside his stack of signed paperwork to the floor again. "You know exactly what my issue is."

Leader sighed and pitched the bridge of his nose between his piercings, his precious organized paperwork ruined once more. Investing in folders was becoming a consideration. "No, I honestly do not, Kakuzu. It can be anything, so please elaborate."

"The Mayfly is a treacherous bloodline and you continue to believe it will benefit the Akatsuki?"

"There are glaring negatives, it is true. But the positives far outweigh them. With the Mayfly on our side, we will be in possession of arguably the greatest Kekkei Genkai to ever exist besides the Sharingan and my own Rinnegan."

"And what if the girl decides she does not want to assist the Akatsuki? What if she uses the Mayfly against us? I've seen what the Mayfly is capable of. Those positives will become negative, quickly."

"Well, thankfully, at the moment we do not need worry about that, do we? Once her Mayfly is awakened then I'm positive she will have warmed up to us all and the vision of the Akatsuki."

Kakuzu laughed. "The moment that brat activates the Mayfly, it will maim her conscious and render her into nothing but an imbecilic savage like that brute in Kusagakure and every other poor bastard during the Second World War," Kakuzu stabbed his finger on the notebook where Leader himself had recorded evidence of the Kekkei Genkai's destruction of its host's brain upon awakening, leaving them basically braindead. "If that happens, the Akatsuki will be nothing to her but a lavish human buffet."

"There is also the possibility it will not and her mental state will be unharmed," Leader argued back, having also written down a case of a Mayfly wielder, a child younger than Zetsu from the same laboratory labeled as K-MF-002, being perfectly within her right mind after the bloodline's animation. "The chance is high, actually. Due to years of chemotherapy the girl endured with a chemical created specifically to reduce the Mayfly's poisonous chakra."

"Yes, but it also potentially suppressed the Mayfly altogether so she might not be able to rouse it at all now." Yet another fact Leader forgetfully included. Perhaps he should also include the little matter of a potential and brutal death if the Mayfly was incorrectly used?

"But she might be able to," Leader stressed, his head again beginning to pound from the persistent back and forth. "Kakuzu, please explain to me why you are so insisting on ridding this child and her Mayfly? Is there a reason besides the money?"

"I'm merely arguing my side," Kakuzu reasoned. "But yes there is. You are placing too much faith on this brat. You should never place all your chips in one pot. She had shown nothing to prove herself besides a bust. You'd be better off collecting your winnings and leaving."

"Yes, but I'm willing to risk that chance and play the hand I've been dealt," Leader responded. "I've always been optimistic when it regards a person's qualifications. When you and I first met, I praised your Kinjutsu, did I not?"

"Yes, but you did not employee me due to Kinjutsu alone. You employed me for my knowledge of accounting and resources."

"And that gamble of mine paid off, yes?" Kakuzu sighed, massaging his temples. His boss was not understanding the overall situation and risks associated with this girl. This reckless gambling of his could cause him the entire Akatsuki and their lives.

"I will strike you a deal, Kakuzu." Leader suddenly offered.

Kakuzu's bloodshot eyes narrowed. "A deal?"

Leader nodded. "Yes. It is simple. If Zetsu activates her Mayfly and it results in the ruin of her psyche, then you are free to sell her at any price you deem necessary. But, if her Mayfly is activated and she is perfectly right-minded, then she will remain with the Akatsuki. My only condition is that you will be responsible for her training."

"Why the hell do I have to train the brat? I'm not her babysitter. You're the one so interested in her, so why the fuck don't you do it?"

"Because I am too occupied with the Akatsuki and another project that requires both I and Konan's attention so neither myself or her can train Zetsu which only leaves you." Leader explained simply with a casual shrug. Kakuzu sneered, the heat of another rage licking his skin but the other male did not allow that to threaten him. "Kakuzu, I suggest you accept this deal. This way, we both know the risks and rewards. Either way, the result will be split either way we approach this." Leader was correct. Either the girl had the Mayfly and it destroyed her mind or it did not, it was a fifty-fifty shot. Kakuzu could only roll the dice and pray the results were in his favour.

"Fine."

"Perfect." Leader searched around in the top drawer of his desk before uncovering what he had stashed earlier and placing a piece of paper in front of Kakuzu along with a pen. "Now, just please sign this."

"The hell is this?" Kakuzu huffed as he scooped the paper up which had been entirely hand-written and had a list of bullet points.

"A contract. Basically, it details the agreement we discuss and if you sign it, you agree to my terms including that no harm or death shall befall Zetsu while she is in your care and you will not sell her outside the circumstances agree. If these terms are broken, then I am free to terminate your partnership to the Akatsuki." Kakuzu glanced up from the contract, shooting Leader a flat glare. "Please Kakuzu. You are a businessman. You know better than anyone that nothing is official unless it is written down. Also, I want your word on this. You might be in charge of finances, but I am in charge of the Akatsuki and at the moment, Zetsu is property to the Akatsuki, not the bank. Now, would you kindly sign it?"

Kakuzu briefly reviewed the contract, confirming it enlisted everything he and Leader spoke about and nothing was hidden between the lines. With a growl, he signed his name at the line supplied at the bottom before tossing it in the ginger's piercing-riddled face and taking his leave. He would have to begin his plotting on how he would handle this new 'student' of his that wouldn't result in her imitate death.

"Thank you." Leader said, plucking the paper from his hair and storing it back in his desk for safe-keeping. "Now then, when is the soonest you can begin Zetsu's training?"

"When I give a shit." Kakuzu called back.

…

**AN: **_I need to stop making the mistake of thinking these chapters will be short because my summary of them are short. Sorry about the wait and the plot load this chapter dumped but it was required to set up the next chapters. The chapters starting now will be even slower as I do not have them planned out yet and school is more demanding of my attention. _

_Thank you for reading and be kind with your comments. _

_**Next Chapter:**__ Zetsu's training beneath Kakuzu begins and Kakuzu decides to start it with a dramatic dietary change. _

_Until next time. _


	14. Arc 1: Chapter 13

**AN: **_For anyone that is sensitive violent content, then I strongly advise you avoid this chapter as it will be the introduction to Zetsu's cannibalistic diet. There is little you will miss besides that. _

_Also, I would like to mention in this story that Konan will be OoC because she will be depicted as more of a mother figure. Not always however, as when it is required she remain in her true personality than she will be. The chapters she is not then I will include a specific warning as well for any other character. The only exception will be Zetsu as her personality is my own creation from the canon, obviously. _

_Another warning, characters will have their personalities changed for this story but not dramatically (although some will have new, different traits about them included). Mostly, certain aspects of their personalities will be amplified so if you do not like that as you prefer to have the characters remain vanilla than avoid this story because every Akatsuki member will be altered. And I mean __**altered**__, but nothing that will remove from their vicious natures so do not expect the fluffy characters you read about in OC or SI fictions. In fact, they will be depicted as more bloodthirsty and violent for realism. I shall include warnings for each character introduced to avoid potential backlash so do not flame if you do not like the new changes. They will be ignored. _

**beloved of naruto: **Thank you for the kind review! You asked so you shall receive. I hope I can keep your support and not disappoint from now into the future!

_With all of that out of the way, I hope those that choose to read this chapter, enjoy!_

**Warning(s): Language (Mid), Genderbend (Low), Out of Character (Konan), Violence/Gore, Cannibalism **

…

**Wasteland**

**Mayfly Arc:**

**Chapter 13 **

The time it took for Kakuzu to 'give a shit' was approximately a week. That week, Konan had sole custody over Zetsu and Kakuzu wisely kept his distance, biding his time until the woman left. It would not be smart to invade a cave to steal a cub when the mother bear was present.

During the week, Konan spent accustomating the girl, whose name she learned to be Zetsu, to her new home and life within the Akatsuki and attempting to repair some of the damage she had suffered in her past life after reviewing her records. It was a feat certainly easier said than done. Feeding the girl was issue enough as the only thing she was capable of eating was oatmeal and anything else resulted in vocal gagging or violent vomiting altogether. A byproduct of the mutations caused from the Mayfly. Then there was the problem of verbal communication as Zetsu was completely mute and could only speak in whines and chirps so it took effort for Konan to distinguish between which were sounds of distress and what was noises of request for food or sleep. By the end of the week however, she was able to say 'Ko' when referring to Konan and the woman considered that a tiny victory. Also her ability to walk on her own had improved. Unfortunately, before she could properly begin Zetsu's recuperation, Pein returned from his business. This meant she would have to leave to occupy his place and while it normally did not bother her, afterall they were partners, this time however, there was a glaring concern. Kakuzu.

"Pein, Kakuzu will kill her. You cannot leave Zetsu with him!" Konan argued heatedly with Pein, hands pressed down on his desk and the broken furniture bowed beneath her applied weight.

"Kakuzu will not kill Zetsu, Konan," Pein assured her as he concentrated on signing paperwork, unfazed by her sudden rebellion against him. Honestly, he had prepared himself for a similar reaction when he returned. "He is under contract. If any unnecessary harm or death befalls her than he will be eliminated from the Akatsuki. The risk is too great for him to attempt anything or make mistakes."

"'Mistakes' can be made." Konan intoned, emphasizing 'mistakes' with a sarcastic tone. She did not trust Kakuzu enough to believe he was capable of innocent accidents with Zetsu. Nothing was an accident with the brutish man nor innocent.

"You've grown very attached to this girl in such a short period." Pein observed, setting aside his pen as he focused on his flustered, female partner, calmly folding his hands beneath his chin.

"How can I not? She's had a horrible life and the Akatsuki is her life now. She deserves better from us," Pein said nothing in reply to her heartfelt confession and Konan sighed. "Doesn't she remind you of us, Nagato?"

The forthright question earned the desired effect as Pein's Rinnegan faded and Konan could only imagine Nagato's reaction from the otherside of the human vessel. Obviously, he did not want her to witness it. Probably acknowledgement that the comment was indeed somewhat true, whether he admitted to it or not. A child whose life had been torn asunder from the horrors of war and her only salvation was the Akatsuki? She was more alike them than Nagato would ever admit. A few seconds later, the Rinnegan returned to Pein's eyes and it took another moment for the medium to 'restart'.

"Konan, for both your own interest and the interest of the Akatsuki, I recommend you detach yourself emotionally from Zetsu. Unless she is able prove herself with the Mayfly, she is nothing more than an asset to the Akatsuki that can and will be sold off if deemed necessary." The man returned to his steady workload, ignorant to the blue-haired woman's insulted expression from the affront remark.

Regardless of personal feelings, Konan wisely did not argue with Pein. It would be like yelling at a brick wall, pointless and fatiguing, and instead, begrudgingly choice to pack her bags for the trek back to their home village for an indeterminate amount of time. Hopefully, it was not too long. She feared for Zetsu's safety and would not remove herself like instructed. She was the only person in the world the girl had now. Her bags stuffed with clothing, Konan took her leave without bidding her partner goodbye and as she shuffled past his desk, her duffle bag 'accidental' brushing against the growing stack of signed paperwork he had built and knocked it to the floor in a cascade of white.

Pein frowned when his beautiful organized papers fluttered to the floor in a jumbled mess yet again. "Would you kindly come back and pick this up?" He called after Konan but the woman did not respond and slammed the door behind her, strong enough to quake the basement and the rest of the paperwork that had endured the collapse, slid off his desk to join its brethren on the floor. The ginger sighed and pinched one of the piercings that lined the bridge of his nose. Perhaps Kakuzu was correct, women were quite the emotional handful.

…

On her way out, Konan visited Zetsu to inform her of her unwanted departure so she did not worry. She was currently residing in the second bedroom of the cabin and while it was across the hall from Kakuzu's room, Konan preferred it rather than having her sleep in the living room and on the ugly, age old couch that wheezed dust when sat on. When she nudged open the closed door to check on Zetsu, the girl was sound asleep in bed, deeply cocooned away in the moth-nibbled blankets as Konan had left her the night before. Normally, Konan awoke her for breakfast, but this morning was different as she gently prodded the girl awake.

It took a moment before Zetsu's eyes twitched behind her lids and rolled open. The girl blinked a few times, her golden eyes hazy from the aftereffects of deep sleep until she was able to perceive Konan's blue hair and immediately jolted up on her mattress, wide awake. She emitted to her a series of happy chirping of 'Ko' with her lips wrenched back behind her canines in a wide smile and Konan smiled back, squeezing the child's sunken cheekbones and scratching her nails through her shaved, emerald locks.

"Good morning," Konan chirped. Zetsu chirped back, quite literally and wound her arms around Konan's neck to be heaved out of bed for breakfast but the woman kindly declined. "Not this morning, sweetheart. Listen, I have to leave. I will be gone shortly, alright, Zetsu?"

Zetsu nodded, not appearing too distraught over the sudden information and Konan wondered if she truly understood the degree she was speaking. Nevertheless, perhaps her ignorance was bliss so she did not get too upset once Konan left.

"Good. Now, if you need anything, just ask Pein. He might seem scary, but he's all bark and no bite." Konan smirked from her own metaphor, an amusing image entering her mind of a growling, lapdog Pein. It was a lie, however, as Pein was in cahoots with Kakuzu but she did not Zetsu knowing that. Again, Zetsu nodded, her vicious smile intact and Konan was convinced now the girl understood nothing she said and was merely responding to the sound of her voice. It was probably for the best. "Alright, Zetsu, can I have a hug?" That, the girl clearly understood as she lunged onto the woman, squeezing her tightly and nuzzling her neck. Konan hugged her back firmly, so not to do any harm to any of the healing wounds on her bone thin body.

After a few seconds, Konan released the petite girl and ushered her back into bed, tucking her securely in the coverings so she was not chilled. "I'll be back soon, I promise." She patted the girl's head before picking up her bags and leaving the room, shutting the door behind her with a silent click.

…

Meanwhile, Kakuzu had just risen and was enjoying his breakfast when Konan entered the kitchen only to come to a screeching halt behind him. He did not pause in his eating as he shoveled another chunk of salt-saturated egg onto his butter-soaked toast and into his mouth, ignoring the woman's distasteful glowering he perceived from the corner of his eye. When she did not leave even after several minutes, Kakuzu sighed and shifted around his seat to meet her heated looks, annoyed his meal had been interrupted.

"Can I help you?"

"Do not hurt Zetsu or you will be sorry, Kakuzu." Konan avowed, rather forcefully considering the person she was speaking to.

Kakuzu quirked an eyebrow. "Is that a threat?"

"No. It's a promise." And with that, she took her departure and exited the cabin, leaving behind a taken aback (and miffed) Kakuzu.

"Damned woman." Kakuzu sneered as he returned to his breakfast which had been considerably spoiled from her attempted intimidation. If Konan thought threatening him would frighten him into treating the brat like a little princess like her, she was dead wrong. This girl was potentially costing him a fortune each and every day and if he wanted to vent those frustrations out of her, he had every right to, regardless of contracts and threats.

His breakfast successfully ruined, Kakuzu dumped the rest of his plate into the trash and washed his hands. At least now Konan was gone and he could begin the tedious process of awakening the girl's Mayfly. He had no idea how long it would take, or how to do it, but the sooner the better. There was treasure trove of cash awaiting him and he was impatient to get his hands on it and be rid of the vermin. Once the cleaning was finished, he left the kitchen to the cabin entrance and retrieved his jacket from the coat rack stationed there. He shrugged on the thick, leather trench coat and tied his bandanna around his face then pushed his sunglasses onto his nose before leaving the cabin himself for some 'hunting'.

The mother bear had left the cave and now it was time for the hunter to coax the cub out with meat.

…

A few hours after Konan left, Zetsu awoke again and was instantly alarmed when Konan was not there to greet her and whisk her away for food or a bath. The girl sat up in her bed, glancing around the barren room for any sighting of the woman but there was nothing. Konan said she would back soon, right? It had been soon so where was she? Kiyoshi always told her he would be back soon and he was. She waited a few minutes, thinking she was just a little late but when even that did not pan out, Zetsu got worried and scared. She carefully climbed out of bed, setting her unsteady feet on the wooden floor and waiting until her legs stopped trembling before slowly stepping to the closed door. She twisted the brass knob and peeked out. The hallway empty, there were no voices and she could not hear Konan's heels clicking around the floor or her voice. She was terrified to leave however, because of the monster Konan called 'Kakuzu'. The one responsible of hurting Kiyoshi and bringing her here. She listened harder but heard nothing still, just dead silence and she concluded that perhaps he was gone or asleep too so she took a shaky step outside into the hallway. Cautiously, she tiptoed about the cabin, checking every room she could in search for Konan, wisely leaving the monster's room and the door which led to a treacherous basement unexplored. It had only taken a few minutes with Konan nowhere to be found. It was too much for the teenager's mentally slow brain to handle as she sobbed and softly wailed on the living room floor.

Suddenly, her anguish was interrupted by the sound of a lock being undone. She glanced around before realizing it was the front door and saw the golden door lock was wiggling in the frame. Of course, the front door! Konan had probably left outside. She never thought to check because Konan had warned her to never go outside unsupervised since it was too dangerous and Zetsu was unfamiliar with it. She had never seen the sun or trees before so who knew what else was out there. Zetsu stood and stumbled over to the front door, turning the knob when the door was unlocked and tugging it open with her meager strength to allow Konan in. However, when she opened the door, it was not Konan standing on the other side.

"Hmm?" Kakuzu grunted when the door was unexpectedly opened for him and he gazed down to see the girl, noting how her sharp grin instantly fell from her face within milliseconds of seeing him and an expression of pure terror twisted her pale features. "Oh, it's you. Perfect. Hnn, this is much easier than wrestling you from your room."

Unfortunately, the moment he said that, the girl turned and fled as fast as her weak legs could carry her away from Kakuzu in the direction of her room, screaming. The miser snarled, his patience already worn thin, and launched his hand from his wrist. The appendage shot across the cabin faster than Zetsu could run and clamped down onto the back of the oversized shirt she wore, using it to violently yank her back towards him. She landed hard onto her back in front of him, the collision briefly stunning her as she gasped for breath, and when Kakuzu leant down to wrench the girl up, she snapped her bear trap-like teeth at his hand, nearly chomping off one of his fingertips. Kakuzu recoiled to dodge her lethal teeth and the child took the opening to wriggle past him through the narrow entrance and into the outside world.

"You little shit!" Kakuzu fumed as the girl sprinted through the clearing that surrounded the cabin and towards the thick of the forest only a few meters away. _'Thank god she can't use the Mayfly.'_ Kakuzu wasn't in the mood to pursue the girl around the woods in a giant game of hide-and-seek so decided to leave that responsible to someone else.

"Daora!" In reply to the name, the wind-element mask throbbed and twitched in his back as the creature rose. The mask stitched to his back detached from his skin as a cluster of tightly wound threads thrusted it out from beneath the collar of his coat and over his shoulder onto the grassy floor. In a moment, the threads arranged themselves in a dog-like creature with wings and erected itself. Daora flexed its wings and stretched like a cat as it awoke before focusing its attention on Kakuzu, plopping itself down in front of its master with greeting, metallic caw.

"Daora," Kakuzu spoke again, pointing in the direction the girl had ran off, now successfully hidden among the trees and out of sight. _"Fetch."_ Like a bloodhound on the hunt, Daora shot into the treeline with the quickness of a bullet. In only a matter of minutes, the troublesome brat had been successfully found.

Kakuzu smirked when the girl's screaming echoed throughout the forest followed by Daora's provoked squealing. It appeared the girl had had her hiding place discovered and was currently being secured for transportation by the wind-element creature. The screams faded out and a serene silence engulfed the forest as birds chirped happily in the distance and the leaves rustled from a gentle breeze. Kakuzu enjoyed the quiet for its entirety until the peace was shattered by the familiar cawing and spasmodic flapping of wings. Daora emerged from the thicket, gliding awkwardly and landed on the ground, galloping the rest of the distance to Kakuzu. Once there, it seated itself at his feet, wings flexing and backside wagging back and forth like a dog. Its body was noticeably swollen.

"Good," Kakuzu said, much to the heart monster's pleasure as its rear shook harder. "Now, release." Daora obeyed without hesitation as its fiber body unwound itself and expelled the body it had previously devoured.

The teenager slumped to the floor, seemingly having passed out but after a moment, the girl jolted awake and inhaled loudly, her fangs condensing the absorbed air into a whistle. Zetsu clambered upward, shaking and gasping, as her caramel orbs scanned her surroundings to reinsert herself. Her sight captured Daora, who greeted her with a happy squawking, which made her swarm away but the moment her eyes settled on Kakuzu who was impatiently observing from above, a scream tore itself from her strained lungs. The girl rolled over to her hands and knees and launched herself to her feet to run again but Daora reacted before she could and trotted into her path, shrieking and puffing itself like an angry feline, scaring her backwards where she collided with Kakuzu's tall legs. She screamed again, shielding her head and Kakuzu leant down, snatching her by the back of her collar and using it to lift the girl to his eyelevel, lowering his sunglasses so his mismatched orbs pierced hers. Zetsu immediately closed her eyes and covered them with her hands, sobs shaking free from her heaving chest.

"Listen here, you little shit," Kakuzu seethed, dumping the girl to the ground, a good six foot plus fall and she struck the floor on her back, sobs broken into heaving. "Konan isn't here to protect you. I'm your caretaker now and you better fucking listen to me. Otherwise, your life will be more of a hell than you have ever experienced before, understood?" His only reply was crying and he decided the answer would be the best he would get out of the pitiful child.

"Now stop crying," The command only made Zetsu wailed louder as snot and drool leaked from her facial orifices in a disgusting show. "Stop crying!" The girl wept loudly, drowning out Kakuzu's yelling and making the stabbing ping of a migraine spawn in his brain. He removed his glasses and nursed his throbbing temples with snarl.

He would accomplish nothing with the girl crying like she was. He couldn't even get a single word in without the sound of voice setting her off farther. He had intended to read the girl off a slew of rules he had crafted during their 'training' together, but it seemed like that was impossible now and he would have to move onto his second plan for the day. Kakuzu walked away, abandoning the girl to wail, as he rounded the cabin where he had stashed his little present for her under the house. After retrieving the gift, he heaved to back to the sniffling teenager and dumped it in front of her. Zetsu temporarily halted her tears from the sound of something being dropped in front of her and screamed at the sight of a dead body in front of her.

The man was clad in civilian clothing, a local farming, and had had his neck broken as his head was twisted around at an impossible angle, his brown eyes bulging in its sockets and mouth frozen mid-scream. Kakuzu was sarcastically hurt she did not like his present for her. He had spent the entirety of the morning hunting for a delicious meal for her. He had to trek a few miles outside Amegakure to the swampy backwoods to finally locate a human sacrifice without being seen. Little shit should be more appreciative of his generosity. Obviously, he would have to include that on his developing list of strict guidelines with her.

"Quit screaming, you little shit," Kakuzu hissed. "You should be thanking me that I was kind enough to secure you a fresh meal. So long as I have to suffer your miserable existence, you will be nothing to me but the monstrosity you are and that includes treating you as such. Now, eat up." The girl was skin and bones and a gentle breeze could probably kill her at the weight she was now so fattening her up was vital and due to the Mayfly, that could only be achieved if she embraced her natural born cannibalism.

Zetsu did not 'eat up' as instructed and instead scrambled away from the decaying corpse, attempting to flee again but Daora bounded after her, snagging her pant leg in its mouth and using it to drag her back towards Kakuzu and the body. While Daora controlled the thrashing girl, enduring a few kicks to the face which cracked its mask, Kakuzu withdrew a kunai from his ankle and hunched over, slicing off a chuck of blood flesh from the dead man's arm before walking over to the girl with it in hand. Zetsu stared up at Kakuzu in horror as he dangled the meat above her face, drops of cold body dripping onto her tear-streaked cheeks and the man leant down, smashing it against her lips in an attempt to force it into her mouth. She resisted and he resorted to force as threads sprung from his wrist, weaving themselves between her lips and tying around her canines, using them as leverage as her jaws were slowly apart. Once her mouth was wide enough, Kakuzu dropped the hunk of muscle into it then quickly had his threads retreat from her mouth as he clamped her mouth closed with his hands to prevent her from expelling it.

Zetsu struggling, nostrils flaring and tearing eyes rolling back in her head as the overpowering flavour of copper and rot invaded her taste buds and made them water. Even worse, she realized the taste was _not bad_ and her hungry stomach seemed to roar for it. She reached up in skirmish, yanking Kakuzu's black bandana from his face and the sight of his stitched face made her gasp sharply through her nose. As a result, the flesh that had been sitting on her tongue slid down her throat and into her stomach, striking the bottom like a rock. Kakuzu saw the girl's throat bulge out as she finally swallowed the flesh and it disappeared beneath her collar. He kept his hands locked on her face to prevent her from upchucking it. When she managed to keep it down after several seconds, he released her as did Daora and both parties took a step back to observe the girl. Kakuzu fully expected her to make her vomit up the meat but to his surprise, she did no such thing and even more surprising was her numb expression.

Zetsu stared upwards towards the clear sky, her golden eyes unfocused and blood stained mouth hanging ajar as rivers of drool leaked from her quivering lips. She did not move as she laid flat on her back, almost in a deep trance, and Kakuzu, deciding to test a theory, retrieved another cut of meat. He slung the chuck above her face, swinging it side to side like a master teasing a mutt with a treat and when he lowered it closer to her face, she suddenly jerked upwards and caught the ration between her fangs, nearly taking Kakuzu's fingers along with it. She tilted her head back and the meat easily slid down her throat without the assistance of chewing. Her empty expression shifted to something more malevolent, inhuman and Kakuzu recognized it as the same look from the Mayfly Man. He stepped aside and the second the corpse behind him was unimpeded, Zetsu pounced like a starved animal as her canines tore flesh from bone.

Kakuzu quietly observed the gory show, the sound of her snarling and snorting as well as the wet tearing of meat making his stomach churn slightly. When the display got a bit too much for his liking, he took his leave back to the cabin, leaving Daora to babysit the girl as she feasted. He felt slightly dirty from the he had just witnessed and a shower felt appropriate but with his uncleanliness came the sensation of victory. The Mayfly was well and alive in the girl and clearly the line between her sanity and the bloodline was paper thin, threatening to overwhelm her. This girl would not survive the Kekkei Genkai's awakening as Leader insisted. Kakuzu felt victorious from the thought of it alone.

A full hour and shower later, Kakuzu decided to check in on the girl. He had not been alerted by Daora's shrieking so she obviously had made no attempt to run again, probably too occupied with her meal. When he exited the cabin, the first thing he noticed was the body, or lack there was. It had been completely dissembled, stripped to the bone with the limbs laying in a neat pile next to it. It did not appear a human child had eaten it but an entire pride of lions, impressing (and also disgusting) Kakuzu with the pounds of flesh she had consumed within such a short time frame. Sleeping beside the husk of a corpse was Zetsu, peacefully curled up in a sunny patch of grass with her clothing and skin soaked in blood and gore. She did not stir when he approached her nor when he scooped her up and tucked her beneath his arm. Daora stood from the spot it had been lounging and strutted to its master, returning to its cozy home in his back as Kakuzu carried Zetsu inside. As he walked back to the cabin, he paused to observe the bloody girl under his arm and sneered. He cursed Leader aloud for making him her babysitter. His only wish at this point was the Mayfly awoke, and soon.

…

**AN: **_This chapter came out faster than I thought because in the last few days alone I was hit was a huge writing fever and wrote this entire chapter within that time. It's also better than I expected considering the quickness it took to write it. _

_For anyone curious about the names of Kakuzu's masks, they are all named after Elder Dragons from Monster Hunter. Daora, is from Kushala Daora, the Elder Dragon of Ice and Wind. The previously mentioned Teo, is from Teostra, the Elder Dragon of Fire. Also, the masks in this story will be represented more as minions to Kakuzu and each will possess its own unique personality. Just a friendly warning so no one is mad I fiddled with that canon too. _

_Anyway, the next chapter will not be so quickly produced because from here it will be nothing but training which will require a lot of research from my part. It will not last long, only a few chapters, maybe three at most and they will be mostly montages. After that, the Mayfly will be awakened and plot shall progress again. Within the next several chapters, in fact, a new member will be introduced. Get hyped. _

_Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Reviews are welcomed so long as they are consecutive, not destructive. _

_**Next Chapter: **__Zetsu's training with Kakuzu begins__**. **_

_Until next time. _


	15. Arc 1: Chapter 14

**AN:** _So originally, like I said, this segment was supposed to between two to three chapters long. Well, after revising this chapter alone between three to four times; making it long and detailed to short and sweet, I just went with making it simple and cramming all the chapters together because they were too short to be published singularly. So, instead of two-threeish chapters, it's only one. Makes it easier for us both. _

_You can skip this entire chapter since its just filler, just do not skip the end because it will set up the next few chapters along with it._

_Also, I changed the generic title of 'Act 1' to 'Mayfly Arc' and each Arc will be now labeled. I have gone back and changed the titles of each chapter to reflect this change. _

**Math725e: **Thank you so much. Kind comments such as yours encourages me to write this bizarre of mine.

_Now with that cleared, read and enjoy!_

**Warning(s): Language (High), Abuse (Mid), Genderbend (Low), Blood/Gore (Low), Out of Character (Konan)**

…

**Wasteland**

**Mayfly Arc**

**Chapter 14**

Zetsu slept for the next three days. The morning after their first meeting, Kakuzu had barged into her room to awaken her and escort her outside so they may begin their training only to discover she was unbothered but his abrupt entrance. He tried to rouse her by means of violent shaking and screaming with no result. He made several more attempts throughout the day without success. The morning after, the conclusion was the same and he questioned if her human meal had resulted in brain damage and she had lapsed into a coma. To answer his concerns, he asked Leader about it, if something about it had been mentioned in the records about the Mayfly and ginger simply told him that consuming the amount of calories and multiple pounds that she had had probably overwhelmed her body and it needed to rest in order to disgust the sheer amount of it. It was a half-assed explanation, but Kakuzu accepted it as it better than nothing.

On the third day, Kakuzu's patience was wore thin and this time when he aggressively tried to rouse Zetsu and after a few hours it was successful as the girl slowly recovered from her food-induced sleeping coma. The first thing she did upon seeing him was cower beneath her covers, whimpering and trembling and the man rolled over his eyes from the teenager's pathetic behavior. He wrenched up the blanket shielding her from him and jabbed a harsh finger into her forehead making her flinch.

"Wash yourself and get dressed," He gruffly commanded, nose quirked up in a grimace from the stale smell drifting off of her. "Once you're done, come outside immediately. If you take too long, I will drag you outside myself. You've wasted enough of my time already. Understood?" Zetsu did not reply as he stared at him in silent terror and Kakuzu sneered. _"Understood?"_ She jumped from the snarl and curtly nodded in reply, eyes glazed over with unshed tears. Satisfied, Kakuzu left her 'room' and outside to await her.

An hour later, the girl timidly left the cabin, clean, to an extent, and dressed with her clothes on backwards. Apparently Konan had only given her a single pair of clothing as she was clad in the blood-soaked outfit from days ago. Kakuzu greeted her by pointing at the ground in front of him. "Sit." She obeyed without hesitation as she plopped down in the grass, casting a concerned look behind her at the dozing Daora who was accompanying them for this training session to ensure the she did not attempt to run again.

Once the girl was in the sun, Kakuzu admired his own work. From a single human meal alone, the unnatural white colour to her skin had darkened into a healthier shade and she even appeared more plump then when he had seen her last. If this progressed, then she would soon be perfectly fit for their training regardless of the recovery times it took after each feast. He had done more in a single day than Konan accomplished in an entire week. He would have to remember to smear the results of his success in her face when she returned.

"Due to unfortunate circumstances, I have been assigned to train you in order to activate your Mayfly." He grumbled, adjusting his sunglasses on his nose. "So if you and I are to get along, I have composed a few rules I suggest you follow. Otherwise, I shall punish you as I see appropriate, understood?" Zetsu quickly nodded and Kakuzu wondered if she was just nodding to please him or she truly understood him. Nothing in her records spoke about her possessing autism, but at this point he was convinced it was because they had never tested her for it. Either way, he accepted her panicked answers. He reached into the pocket of his slacks and withdrew a personal notebook where he had drabbled down necessary notes for their training sessions together. He thumbed through the pages until landing on the one where he had neatly listed down the rules he intended to cement in her tiny mind.

"Rule One: Respect. I am your superior in every definition and you are to acknowledge that. I am not your friend and I never will be. I am not Konan. When answering or addressing me, will do so by 'Sir', nothing less. Anything else and I shall take it as an insult,"

"Rule Two: Compliance. You are to obey each and every instruction I give, no questions or objections. I am wasting my precious time to train your pathetic existence and I will not tolerate disobedience or complaints. Any backtalk or rebellion shall receive swift and harsh punishment,"

"Rule Three: Behavior. You are to be on your perfect behavior at all times. If you step out of bounds or act up, I will physically replace you back within the line. It will be more unpleasant each time I do. Pray I do not lose my temper or you will not survive,"

"Rule Four: Effort. I will be training you and I expect nothing less than one-hundred percent of your effort placed into it. I will not be merciful towards you so do not assume I will relent when you are tired or sore or plead for your pitiful life. You will be able to rest when I allow you to rest and I will not care if you wet yourself in desperate need of the bathroom. Failure to do so shall result to the revocation of your only source of food and other luxuries such as sleeping indoors or bathing."

"And last, Rule Five: Appreciation. Everything I do for you, I expect your upmost gratitude. That includes everything from the meals I supply you to your trainings. I also want you to thank me for sparing your life every day and your reward for doing so shall be the gift of living to see the next day."

Kakuzu snapped his little notebook closed and Zetsu flinched, having zoned out slightly from his lengthy reading. "Now, is this all understood?" The girl immediately nodded and he knew she was lying but did not call her on it. He would rather she did not properly listen and mess up so it gave him an excuse to vent his frustrations onto her. Afterall, she had already broken the first rule by failing to properly address him. "Good. I will not repeat myself so I suggest you keep everything I said memorized." Now that the easy part somewhat settled, now came the tedious process of actually training the girl. His favourite.

Kakuzu began his lesson by detailing at length about basic definitions such as chakra, shinobi arts and Kekkei Genkai to Zetsu, who obviously had never heard of any of it by the blank looks he inherited as though he spoke gibberish (he might as well be). After the elaborate explanations which he refused to repeat since she wouldn't understand it any better, he shifty moved onto training her basics of chakra control, a task easier said than done. Unlike the healthy chakra pathways of a regular shinobi, those of Mayfly hosts were needle-thin and restricted a normal flow of chakra. Due to this, they were incapable of jutsu besides that of their Kekkei Genkai, even that of the simplest jutsu such as clone and transformation jutsu. With this crutch, it crippled the girl's learning capabilities in regards to chakra control and restricted Kakuzu's teaching abilities. Implying he had these skills. He hadn't been a student since before the First World War and during then, academies hadn't existed. When he was child, teachers were just shinobi who were generous with their limited time and would take a few students under their wing but for a steep price. He could remember stealing money from his alcoholic father for classes. When the First World War approached, schools were built for the sole purpose of training kid soldiers. Compared to now, everything he had been taught when he was younger was either considered outdated by modern techniques or his new underling was incapable of exercising them (or would kill her). He wasn't a fucking teacher. What was Leader thinking? He wasn't, that's what.

Instead he educated her on chakra techniques he had read about in a book of modern techniques taught in academies of the Five Nations, or least modern during the Second World War when it was published. Even that, however, was too much for the girl's feeble mind to comprehend as everything Kakuzu said was either misunderstood or she was too scared to listen. By the umpteen attempt, he had become so frustrated that he began screaming demands at her and the juvenile bolted in reply. Daora quickly captured her, however, and dragged her back to its master's feet before waddling off back to its sunbathing. After taking several minutes, he soothed his flared nerves and exhaled deeply before focusing on the trembling child.

"Might I remind you of Rule Four?" Kakuzu explained calmly so not to spook the fidgety girl again. "If I do not deem your performance satisfactory, then I shall revoke your privileges. If you would like to sleep indoors tonight, then I suggest you actually try." Clearly, she had not listened accordingly before as he had suspected and this was breaking news to her as Zetsu's sunny eyes widened. Now she was listening. "Is that understood?"

She nodded instantaneously and without warning, he brought his open hand across the side of her head with enough force to send the petite teenage tumbling several feet through the dirt. She produced a shrill noise as she cradled her throbbing head and Kakuzu yanked her up harshly by her boney forearm, forcing her to face him. "Rule One. You are to address me appropriately when speaking to me! Obviously, you do not listen!" She hiccupped, a mixture of fluids leaking from her eyes and nose as she stared up at him. "_Is that understood?_"

Between her sobs, a series of wet groans released from the back of her throat as her lips trembled and flexed in the shape of words she could not speak. After a few tries, she managed to position her lame tongue correctly. "Y-yee-eee…sa-saa…sss-err…" She hissed out the jumbled mess of varying sounds that vaguely resembled words. "Yee-sss…sserr." While it was not a definite response, Kakuzu was able to tell what she was trying to stutter out so he accepted it for now.

"Good. That wasn't difficult, was it?" He freed her arm from his bruising grip and she cuddled the limb against her chest, a bright red handprint marring the pale skin. "Now, let us try this again and if you want to be warm tonight, then you better impress me."

"Yee-sss, ser."

…

Kakuzu was not impressed. "Trying" was too polite of a word to describe Zetsu's efforts. They were more like "frantic floundering about" as he instructed her through basic chakra concentration techniques. The miser made an effort to accommodate her with different mediums from leaves to sticks and even dirt but nothing worked. She was the definition of anxiety. He so much as breathed wrong and she would lapse into a nervous breakdown with tears and sniveling. He would have an easier chance at teaching a fish how to breathe air. It had taken all of his minimal self-restraint not to beat his message into the brat's thick head. By evening, no progress had been made, Kakuzu was heavily displeased and Zetsu had cried enough tears to fill one of the countless rivers littering the country. Even Daora was agitated as its relaxation was repeatedly disturbed by the minor's bolting. Once the chilled night air settled over the country, he retreated to the cabin, abandoning Daora to babysit the girl. He also locked the door behind him so she couldn't get inside and have the luxury of sleeping in a comfortable bed out of the cold. She would have to learn, and fast.

Unfortunately, time was not on Kakuzu's side.

…

Time wasn't on Konan's side either.

She had been stranded in Amegakure for two months, three weeks and four days. Originally, she was only supposed to handle a few paid contracts and be in the village for a brief check-up then return to Land of Rivers but tragedy had struck. Due to the heavy rainy conditions of Amegakure, obviously, it made construction difficult and hazardous. Smaller projects which did not demand urgency were only worked upon on Sundays, when the weather was clear, but larger projects required daily attendance to ensure quick build times. This was the case of a two rather massive projects that Pein and Konan had requested and they would perform frequent visits to ensure swift and acceptable progress. During her stay, one of their constructions had crumbled from the showers and killed three workers and done considerable damage. Work was halted as she had to console the families while searching for replacements to resume construction. When she had, she had overstayed her welcome longer than she would care for and was eager to return back to the cabin and check up on Zetsu. Every day that has passed her by, the girl's rate of survival with Kakuzu went down. By now, she was convinced the girl had a better rate of being struck by lightning, twice, then being alive. When the chance to depart presented itself, she took and ran.

After only a few hours' travel, the secluded cabin amongst the thick forest came into sight and Konan could breathe again, but only a little. It was late evening so one was outside except one of Kakuzu's masked creatures that was resting besides the deck. The winged monster ignored her as she passed it by into the cottage. Once inside, she made a quick b-line for the spare bedroom to check on Zetsu's wellbeing. She had purchased her new clothing from a secondhand store she was eager to show her also. However, when she opened the door, the room was void of the teenager. The air smelt stale and a thin coat of dust covered the few pieces of furniture inside, making it obvious she had not been there for a significant amount of time. She scoured the room before checking the rest of the house, including the bathroom with no success. When she entered the basement, Pein greeted her and she asked if he had seen Zetsu to which he had not and her heart collapsed into her stomach. The next second, her face was hot with rage and she charged upstairs to Kakuzu's room.

Kakuzu had just concluded another stressful day of training and barely had the chance to relax when a vehement knocking thundered in his ears. He efficiently guessed who it was and stood with a snarl to answer his guest. He yanked open door, which he had simply duct-taped back on, and was met with a fuming Konan who appeared seconds from pouncing him and disemboweling him with her bare hands.

"Welcome back." Kakuzu greeted stalely.

"Where is Zetsu?" The woman demanded, craning herself up to get in the brunette's concealed face. "I can't find her anywhere. What did you do with her, Kakuzu!?"

"I did nothing with the girl. Did you check outside? That's where I left her."

"Outside?" Konan parroted, her angered expression dissolving as she realized she had not checked outside. She spared him a glare before departing to pursue his claim and he snorted as he retreated back into his room.

Outside, Konan proceeded with the scouring of every bush and tree for Zetsu, even calling her name with no results. After several minutes of unsuccessful searching, she was prepared to stomp back inside and throttle Kakuzu for the girl's real whereabouts when a chirping caught her attention. At first, she confused the adorable noise for Zetsu since that was how the girl communicated before realizing it was Kakuzu's mask that was still seated by the porch. The creature emitted the bird-like sound until she looked at it to which it heaved itself to its tiny legs and waddled off, revealing it had been resting atop the mouth of a hole. She took it as a hint and crouched beside the hole, peering inside and noting it tunneled beneath the cabin like an animal burrow. In the semi-darkness, she caught a glimpse of something too large to be any hibernating mammal curled inside.

"Zetsu?" She called and the object shifted about for a moment before a pair of illuminated, yellow orbs peered back at her. She released the breath she had been holding. It was Zetsu.

"Zetsu." She cooed. The girl wriggled around in the hole before straightening herself and crawling out, greeting her with excited squealing and squeaking of "Ko" as she pounced into the woman's open arms. Konan cradled the teenager, unspeakably relieved to see her alive and in one piece, filth and smell aside. She even felt heavier from healthy weight gain. Perhaps she should have given Kakuzu the benefit of the doubt.

Any current or further compliments towards Kakuzu vanished from her vocabulary, however, when she released the Zetsu from her tight embrace and the dimming sunlight exposed the ugly, dark bruising marring the left side of girl's pale face. It was recent too, as the injury was a foul shade of purple and her cheek and eye swollen. A quick investigation revealed similar marks blanketing her arms also and a particularly alarming handprint across her throat. Konan was mortified. What had happened? Kakuzu. Kakuzu had happened. That bastard had been using the girl as his personal punching bag. She knew this would happen!

"Bastard!" Konan suddenly swore and Zetsu instinctively flinched, taking the uttered curse as being directed at her. "No, no, no. Not you, sweetheart. I'm sorry. Come here, let's get you cleaned up, ok?"

She escorted Zetsu back to the cabin where she spent the evening scrubbing her clean and applying ointment to her bruises and wounds. Afterward, she showcased all the new outfits she had purchased for her, much to Zetsu's audible delight, before putting her to bed. The exhausted teenager passed out the moment her head landed on the unused pillow and Konan quietly stepped out so the girl could sleep, and directly across the hall. Now, it was time to give Kakuzu a piece of her mind.

Kakuzu sighed from the violent banging on his door and glanced at the clock which only fueled his irritation. He stood but before he could answer, the force of the intense knocking caused the flimsy tape to break free and the door collapsed inward. He stared at it before focusing on his female guest who was standing outside, hand still poised for further obnoxious knocking.

"You-"

"Bastard!" Konan shrilled and before Kakuzu could react, the woman was poised in his face yet again. He scowled. This woman had no consideration for one's personal space. "How dare you lay your hands on, Zetsu!"

"How dare I? Simple. The girl disobeyed and I punished her as I saw appropriate." He replied candidly, unaffected with the knowledge he had beaten a defenseless child. He had abandoned his conscious quite a while ago.

"By beating and strangling her!?"

"Yes. You can at least thank me for being kind enough to feed her."

Konan fumed, her teeth nearly cracking from the force which she clenched them but Kakuzu remained unaffected by her animosity. There was nothing she could ever say that would make the man remorseful of his destructive actions towards Zetsu. Her only solution, at this point, was the absolute isolation of the girl from him.

"I'm going to train Zetsu." This triggered a reaction from the brunette as the man refuted the proclamation.

"No. I've spent months training that girl. All you will do is coddle her and undermine everything I've work to achieve with her."

"Maybe coddling her will actually work better than beating her every day!" She argued back. "I'm training her, and that is final, Kakuzu." With that, Konan turned and left to speak to Leader but Kakuzu was hot on her heels.

Leader had been quietly working on the endless mounds of paperwork that constantly plagued his desk when his concentration was rudely shattered as Kakuzu and Konan walked into his office, engaged a heated argument with each other over the tutoring of their newest recruit. The ginger watched, unable to inject a word as everything he attempted to say was buried beneath the barrage of insults being exchanged.

After a solid of this, his patience was eaten up as he inhaled deeply. "Would you kindly hush up!?" Both parties fell silent and Leader dumped his forehead in his hand with a mighty sigh. "What is this about?"

Konan slammed her hands down onto the broken desktop, causing it to jar. "I want to train Zetsu!"

"And why is that, Konan? Kakuzu has been perfectly capable of doing it himself."

"He has been physically assaulting her!"

"Has he?" Her face coloured a frightening red and Leader realized his foolish blunder and quickly scrambled to correct it before he suffered his female partner's wrath. "Kakuzu, I thought I told you to cease putting your hands on her." Kakuzu snorted at the man's bumbling attempt to save himself. Even Konan knew better.

"I refuse to allow him to train her any further. She will die if he does!" Leader sighed, cornered by his furious partner and eager to remove her from his back.

"Very well. I am hereby assigning Zetsu under your care, Konan." Before she could thank him for understanding and being merciful to the poor girl, he resumed the statement. "But when you are not here, she will fall back into Kakuzu's care."

"What!?" She roared, making Leader visibly flinch. She imagined behind the scenes, Nagato suffered an adequate scare.

"Why the hell shuffle the girl between us? It will only complicate things and interrupt her training. It would be best to just leave the girl with me instead of having us trade her like two divorced parents." Kakuzu opined.

"Or she is left with me and does not retrieve training when I am gone." Konan challenged, shooting Kakuzu a dirty look which the man returned with equal ire. Predicting another argument, their superior swiftly stepped in.

"Due to the unpredictability of our situation, Zetsu cannot be left without training while you are gone, Konan, or the awakening of her Mayfly will be delayed for time we cannot spare. Also Kakuzu, according to the contract you signed, it explicitly said you were not to inflict any harm to her. While I will not terminate your position from the Akatsuki, I cannot leave her solely in your care any longer. If you were to accidently do permanent damage to her, it would determent the organization." Leader explained, feeling like a judge to said divorced parents feuding over their single child. "While Konan is present, she will responsible for Zetsu's training. When Kakuzu is present, he will be responsible for her training. I will not negotiate any further on this subject. Now, both of you, please." Leader gestured them both out so he may resume his laboring and after swapping another silent stare down, Kakuzu and Konan went on their way.

…

Zetsu spent the next month underneath the overprotective wing of Konan. The woman resumed teaching her lessons about chakra concentration through the best medium she knew: Origami. During their breaks, she worked with the teenager on improving her impaired screech and reading skills. Within the first week alone, Zetsu had mastered using her chakra to bloom paper flowers and could speak several new phases including greetings and her own name. She could finally pronounce 'Konan' correctly also. By month's end, she was legends ahead in terms of knowledge, proving Konan right that actually praising the girl and rewarding her functioned better then beating her for every little mistake she made. If Pein had just left her in her care, then he could have saved the girl months of torture and mental scarring. At this pace, she imagined the Mayfly should be awakened naturally soon enough and once it was, she would petition for sole responsibility of Zetsu.

It was morning and they were taking a quick break from practicing basic chakra techniques when Pein spoke to Konan telepathically to speak with him. The blunette sighed from her partner's request for her presence and looked at Zetsu who was gleefully folding a paper crane Konan had recently taught her to make.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'll be right back, ok?"

"Ok. Goodbye." Zetsu answered, focused fully on her paper crafting. Konan smiled and raffled the girl's emerald locks before standing and leaving to the cabin to speak personally with Pein.

Kakuzu had been preparing himself for a bounty when he overheard Konan's obnoxious harping from the basement. He easily eavesdropped to her objections of returning to her duties and smirked at the plethora of information as he shouldered his bag, leaving his room to depart for his mission. Konan would soon be gone, which meant the girl would be under his command again and he could make up for the time the woman had wasted by playing mother. She had probably been teaching her female things like sewing or cooking instead of shinobi basics.

Outside, Kakuzu saw Zetsu sitting in the forest clearing, fiddling with paper and surrounded by various origami animals, confirming his suspicions. The juvenile noticed the colossal man looming over her and froze, eyes growing to saucers but she did not run like she normally did. Only stare and after a moment, he snorted, making her flinch.

"Konan will be leaving soon, and I shall be responsible for you again. No more arts and crafts and being cuddled like the toddler you behave as." He said, pointing at the crude paper crane the girl had made. She cradled the precious creation defensively against her chest.

"No."

He quirked an eyebrow the sudden rejection. "No?"

"No." She reaffirmed, the fear flooding her honey orbs now replaced with an apprehensive courage that failed to impress Kakuzu. It actually provoked him. Seems like origami wasn't the only thing Konan had taught her.

"Excuse me?" He grounded out, hunching over to the teenager's eye level and to his honest surprise, she did not shrink back and the close proximity seemed to reinforce her delicate fortitude.

"No!"

Kakuzu lashed out, grasping her thin arm and Zetsu gasped, dropping her paper crane. "You listen here, you little shit! You will not use that tone with me. Speak to me like that again, and I do not care about my fate from either Konan or Leader. I will punish you_, harshly_. Do you understand?"

"No!" She screamed and bore her canines, attempting to embed them in hand that had a death grip on her wrist. He wrenched his hand away before she could brandish it with a new scar and clasped a handful of her grassy hair instead, craning her neck into a painful angle and cocking back his other arm with his hand tightly balled. Before, he had just left a few innocent bruises but after he was finished with her, she would be lucky to have her disgusting little face intact. It would teach both her and Konan never to oppose him. Zetsu stared at the fist and as it descended on her, she squeezed her eyes closed in anticipation of the strike.

A shower of blood and an agonized scream rang out into the empty forest.

…

**AN:**_ It's done, it's finally done, and trust me, I did the best I could on this chapter. Earlier drafts of this were twice as long and drawn out so I rewrote the whole thing twice to slim it down. I finished it and wrote the second chapter so I could publish both one after another but I realized how short both chapters were so I combined them and edited them again. This is the result, I'm sorry it took so long. I also went back to the previous chapter and edited it because I did not like some sections. I only edited obvious mistakes. Anything else I did not so please forgive misspelling or mistakes I did not catch. _

_The next chapter may be delayed also due to summer classes but I will be working on it during my breaks between lessons. _

_**Next Chapter: **__Kakuzu's actions results in a life or death situation for Zetsu. _

_Until next time. _


	16. Arc 1: Chapter 15

**AN:** _A new character will be introduced in this chapter, an original character, and he shall be a reoccurring character throughout the entire story. This chapter shall be semi focused on his chapter development alongside of the main plot. Also Amegakure and its brief history is introduced. Please, no one scold me for getting facts wrong. I have purposely made the history for this story like with Kusagakure. I am not writing it from lack of knowledge but out of creativity. _

**starstorm 10: **Thank you so much for your kind review. I'm so glad you are enjoying what you have read so far. Don't worry, I will not be abandoning this story since it has just started. Hope to have you along for the rest of this crazy, twisted ride!

_And to the people that spammed my inbox with alerts and favourites, thank you also! I'm glad people are liking what they see. At least I hope so. _

_Read and enjoy!_

**Warning(s): Language (High), Blood/Gore (High), Genderbend (Low), Out of Character (Konan), Original Character(s) (Low)**

…

**Wasteland**

**Mayfly Arc**

**Chapter 15**

It had happened so fast. If one were to blink, they would have missed it.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Kakuzu swung his fist towards Zetsu's face and within inches of her fragile cheek, it had happened. Thick, green, finger-like appendages thrusted forth from the girl's waist, exploding through the skin in a shower of hot blood and flesh and making her squeal out in agonized pain. One of the sharp digits impaled his hand and pierced through bone like an ice pick. It took a split-second for the pain to register in his brain but just as it did, the extensions withered away and shrank back into her body, gone as quick as they came. Time resumed its original pace and Kakuzu recoiled his stabbed limb and the hand which had been embedded in the girl's hair while Zetsu collapsed to the ground. It took another second for the man to realize what had just occurred. The Mayfly…had that been the _Mayfly?_ His questions had to wait, however, when he heard the wet gurgling emitting from the teenager's throat and witnessed the rapidly expanding pool of blood that was engulfing the forest floor and his boots.

Kakuzu swore, ignoring his injured wrist and the blood soaking into his pants as he crouched beside the girl to analyze the damage the Kekkei Genkai had inflicted. He yanked up her formally blue shirt, now painted red, and inhaled sharply from horrific carnage before him. There was nothing left as he found himself staring _through _her at the blood soaked grass beneath. Her waist, where the Mayfly originated, was mangled in a show of dark gore and blood. It had bisected her.

"Fuck!" Kakuzu spat. He reached forward, threads quickly sprouting free from his stripped wrist and attempting to stitch the girl's two halves back together but it was to no avail. The skin was too tattered and it was like trying to stitch together granules of sand. With this realization, he stood, dumping his bags, and ran back to the cabin. Konan has been negotiating her future residency at Amegakure with Pein when Kakuzu kicked open the basement door and screamed down the stairwell. "I need some fucking help!"

"Kakuzu?" Konan questioned, the urgency of his tone alarming her and a dead weight settled in her stomach. Even without an answer, she had a suspicion exactly what was amiss. "What did you do?"

"The girl activated the Mayfly!"

"What?" Konan and Pein both voiced in unison.

Konan ran up the stairs to confront Kakuzu and paused when observed him. He was panting with his bleeding hand nestled against his abdomen and reeking of the overwhelming scent of sharp copper from the copious amount of blood that stained his slacks. She knew there was too much to be his own. She did not wait to interrogate him further as she wedged herself past him and fled from the cabin, praying that the injuries were merely superficial and appeared more frightful than they actually were. Once outside, her prayers were shattered and she gasped aloud, shielding her mouth as tears flooded her tangerine orbs. Zetsu was sprawled on the ground, convulsing in a pool of her own blood with her jaw slack and eyes rolled back into her head. Kakuzu arrived shortly after and prepared himself for the woman to scream to him, labeling him with the blame for the girl's current condition but to his honest surprise, she did not.

"We need to get her to Amegakure!" Konan proclaimed.

"Amegakure?" Kakuzu responded, bewildered by the suggestion but she did not explain as she was swiftly in action.

She dropped her knees besides Zetsu and extended her arms, her pale skin and Akatsuki outfit turning pure white before peeling off into dozens of sheets of paper. The paper attached itself to the teenager and encased her in a pallid cocoon. As quickly as she could create new layers though, the blood oozed through and after the minimum of a hundred coats later, the crimson substance had been successfully curbed. She levitated the populous swaddle and stood, shuttering from the hot liquid that bathed her legs and squelched inside her sandals.

Zetsu safely enveloped, she focused on Kakuzu who had been idly standing by. "Go inform Leader about what happened. I am taking her to Amegakure."

Kakuzu detested being ordered around by someone of the female persuasion, but just this once he allowed to pass as he grunted in agreement. Konan nodded and her hand flashed into a quick sign which triggered the emerging of two, paper angel wings to sprout from her shoulders, shedding the sheets like feathers. The wings stretched and flapped, lifting her off the grassy floor and hastily, she flew off into the woods, the makeshift cocoon hovering behind and skillfully dodging the towering trees before vanishing into the darkness. Once she was gone, he snorted and lumbered back to the cabin where Leader has been patiently awaiting an explanation about the morning's incident.

"Am I able trust your claim about the Mayfly as truth and not a cover-up for an assault on Zetsu?" Leader inquired when Kakuzu returned, making the brunette bristle at his superior's doubting.

"Yes. The girl awakened her Mayfly and actually _assaulted_ me." Kakuzu rebutted, exhibiting his punctured hand before finally tending to the gaping wound and stitching it closed. He would have to splint it later.

"How severe is her condition?"

"She bisected herself."

Leader nodded, folding his hands atop his desk. "Then critical. We may have lost a vital asset to the Akatsuki due to the unpredictably of her bloodline. It is unfortunate."

"She is worth considerably even in death."

"Yes, but alive she was invaluable to us." Leader reclined in his chair, sighing. "However, there is little that remorse shall do for us. Has Konan tended to her?"

"Yes, she took her to Amegakure." Kakuzu answered, awaiting the gingered man to raise an eyebrow towards the fact that his partner had taken the girl to a restricted territory for emergency care. He had been hearing the two whispering about the village frequently and he did not understand their immense interest in it, especially with Hanzō of the Salamander in command.

"Perfect. I want you to go to Amegakure and report back to me about her condition." The other man said, much to Kakuzu's perplexity.

"Would it be particularly wise for us to go sauntering into a village notorious for its maximum security and dictatorship?"

"You would be surprised how lax the village government has become." Leader vaguely replied. "Now go. I need to know if we must make preparations for negotiations over her remains."

Kakuzu obeyed, concluding his inquiry about Amegakure could be satisfied later as he left the dark office and departed from the cabin. The Land of Rivers and Wetlands were neighbours so the travel to Amegakure was brief, only a few hours even with Kakuzu's casual pace. Eventually, the environment changed from lush and green to mush and brown as the towering forest died into putrid swamp and sunny weather became torrential downpour and dark as night like a light switch. The air was choked by blinding fog but even through the thickness, the glaring spotlights of Amegakure could be seen in the distance, scouring the surrounding area of intruders. Immediately, Kakuzu began to doubt his superior's insistence that the village had suddenly become welcoming of strangers.

Hanzō was notorious, not just for his slaughter of countless shinobi during the Second World War, but also his intense paranoia which resulted in the conversion of Amegakure into an impenetrable stronghold. Not even a fly could get in. There had even been a popular rumour that he had become so afraid of being assassinated, exclusively by a person with Mayfly, that he reinforced the buildings of the entire city with metal exoskeletons to prevent one from phasing through the village. No one was permitted within the village to confirm it so the truth was unknown. The assumption that Konan and Leader held that the government was cozy with visitors was absurd. Even with a dying child in her arms, there was little belief they would allow Konan to enter and particularly an S-Ranked shinobi wanted for escaping prison and the murder of the Takigakure Elders. Perhaps he should just turn back and await Konan's return instead and leave the reporting about the girl to her. She hadn't returned yet, however, so she must have gained entrance. Maybe for once in his life he should trust someone on something they have told him. But just this once.

As Kakuzu trudged through the mud and knee-high weeds closer to the village, he could hear murmuring voices with echoing footsteps through the thick slop and saw the beams of flashlights peering through the mist. A toad croaked loudly in the reeds besides him and scuttled into the murky bog with a splash, causing a pillar of light snapped over to his location, settling on his midsection before gradually scaling up his tall form and shining onto his veiled face. He lifted a hand to shield his eyes from the glare through his sunglasses.

"Who's there? You are trespassing on Amegakure territory! State yourself!" A voice shouted out. Another person stomped over and another flashlight was rudely shone into Kakuzu's face also. He did respond. "Put your hands up and approach slowly!" He should have trusted his instinct about the village instead of someone else's word. Looks like force was the only option left.

He conformed to the simply demands as he lifted up his arms above his head and stepped forward in three long strides, breaking the distance between himself and the guards. The two Amegakure guards shuffled closer through the veil of smog, momentarily shrinking back at the behemoth of a man standing before them before recomposing themselves and pointing their weapons towards him, jabbing the spears dangerously close to his ribcage.

"State yourself!" The smaller of the two male guards barked like a tiny dog at a dog twice its size. "State yourself or you will be taken into custody!"

"I don't have to state anything." Kakuzu growled, dropping his arms and making the guards poke him again. "I'm looking for a woman. Blue hair. Had a dying child with her."

"You are Kakuzu?" The second guard replied, voice muffled by the rebreather attached to his headgear. It startled Kakuzu with their recognition of him and further more when the two men voluntarily lowered their weapons instead of instantly attacking him. "Angel told us you might be coming." Angel? And what the hell was Konan thinking about slinging his name around like that? Did she want him to be arrested again? And again, Angel?

"Angel told us to escort you to the hospital." The tinier guard said, shaking Kakuzu's uninjured hand. "Anyone in alliance with God and Angel are welcomed into Amegakure." God and Angel? The hell were these two babbling about!?

The rebreather man withdrew a two-way radio that was tucked in his vest pocket. "Host Guard Tower, this is Perimeter Patrol. Open the village gates. A special guest of God and Angel has arrived."

"Roger that." The radio crackled back.

There was spine-tingling screeching that rang out as the steel gates steadily chugged open and a waterfall of rainwater poured off them. The two guards herded Kakuzu backwards as the doors yawned open outwards, belching out a wave of hot air from the grinding gears that dissolved the enclosing fog and revealing the colossal metal walls that enveloped the village. A floodlight focused on them, following along as the guards escorted their welcomed guest into the sheltered village before veering away as the doors shrieked back closed behind them. Inside, Kakuzu was able to confirm that everything and more that he heard overheard about Amegakure was true.

The village was entirely industrial as every building as far as the eye could see was an ugly hybrid of rock and steel and even the ground beneath their feet was of rock and plates of metal that clanged noisily as they were stepped upon. Large ducts lined the streets to drain away the copious amounts of water that rained down constantly and the people that walked about were clothed in heavy, plastic raincoats with umbrellas and a few with rebreathers. Kakuzu pursued the two men as they wondered through narrow alleys and wet roads towards the hospital they had been instructed to take him to, tucking his long, brown hair beneath his leather coat to save it from the moisture. In the middle of the village he spied a massive structure, taller than any other building in the process of being built as it was encompassed with wooden platforms and tall ladders. Carpenters were currently working regardless of the foul weather, heaving up pallets of slabs of steels with pulleys and pounding them into place, their hammering resonated to the roads far below. On one side of the bizarre architecture appeared to be the casting of a demonic face.

"We are here." Kakuzu stared at his two convey, having been too interested in the building that hadn't noticed they were at their destination. The hospital was large but dingy, just another steel structure which colour matched the dark clouds that permanently plagued the sky with tiny, circular windows that did not permit peeking inside.

"Thank you." He grunted, the acknowledgment was void though the friendly guards did not notice as they nodded.

"You are most welcomed." The smaller man shook his hand again, accidently grasping his wounded hand this time and making him cringe behind his mask. "God Bless you, and God Bless the Akatsuki."

Kakuzu did not return his odd blessings and the two men took it as their cue to leave as they bowed politely before walking off back to their posts at the gate. Once they were gone, he checked his hand to ensure the stitching did not tear then entered the dreary clinic to search for Konan. Inside, it was brighter than it outside as the walls sported a pure white paintjob with pictures of various landscapes and was brightly lit. There was a cute nurse behind the front desk that was scribbling away on a notepad, not noticing Kakuzu as he advanced towards her. When she failed to divert her attention to him after several seconds, he impatiently pounded his fist down onto the brass bell on the counter, making her flinch and quickly straighten up to face him.

"C-Can I help you, sir?"

"I'm looking for a woman. Blue hair. Brought in a dying child."

"Oh yes. Angel. You must be Kakuzu." Again with Angel and again with her telling everyone about the man with one of the top three bounties in the world. "She is in the Pediatric Wing. It is on the third floor. Just walk down the hallway and you should find the elevator. Once on the third floor, the waiting room will be on your left."

"Thank you." He left before she could start gibbering about angels and gods also as he followed her directions to the elevator and took it to the third floor.

Once on the third floor, he took the left and walked into the waiting room which walls were a cluserfuck of bright colours and hideous, stenciled animals, signifying he was in the correct place. The room was empty except one person who was slumped in the corner, chin propped up on her palm and a troubled expression disgracing her beautiful face. Even the paper flower in her hair appeared wilted. It was Konan.

"You came." She said and sat up as Kakuzu walked towards her. Her old uniform and pants were crusted with dry blood like his.

"Obviously you knew I was since you told everyone to expect me, Konan." He grunted back as he took a seat across from her, having to cram his sizable frame into the inadequate chair. "Or should I say, Angel?"

She spared him a small smile at the nickname. "Oh yes. I am also known as Angel in Amegakure."

"Why Angel? Who the fuck is God? How do people know of the Akatsuki? Why the fuck are you handing out my name? Why the hell is Amegakure suddenly alright with people waltzing in and out? Especially a S-Ranked criminal?" The paper wielder's smile fluttered with the barrage of highly languaged questions.

"Those are all good questions, Kakuzu, but they are not relevant to our current situation." She softly said. "Aren't you curious about Zetsu? That is why you are here, isn't it?"

The tanned man inhaled sharply at her skillful dodging of his inquiry but bit his tongue as he knew it would do no good to yell at her for answers, specifically in the middle of a hospital. "Fine. How's the girl?"

"I don't know. They rushed her into surgery immediately after I handed her over but I have heard nothing since. Only a nurse giving me paperwork to sign but that was hours ago."

"Hmph. Doesn't matter to me. She dies or lives. Either way, she is worth a handsome price."

Konan grimaced at the horrendous comment. "Is that what a human life is worth to you, Kakuzu? Money?"

"Yes, because everything is fleeting. Friends, family, love, life. But money is forever." Kakuzu knew better than anyone the truth of that statement.

"Money cannot buy happiness."

"No, but it can rent a hell of a lot of it."

"And what worth will money be when you die?"

"Even Hell runs on money." By her expression, he had successfully trumped the woman and smirked when she heaved a frustrated sigh and twisted around in her seat to face away from him.

The two sat in silence as the hours slowly ticked by and the day darkened into night. A few parents arrived with their sick, young children who proceeded to curse Kakuzu with a nagging migraine when they ran around screaming and playing with obnoxiously loud toys. A few even sneezing on him. Thankfully, they were gone as soon as they came and before he could either tell their parents to hush the child up or he would silence them himself, forever. Konan hadn't budged from her chair as she stared listlessly at the cartoon animals on the wall and had chewed all her manicured nails into unsightly stubs. By the eighth hour, there was no further information on Zetsu's condition and his minuscule patience had been eaten away. He was about to leave and exclaim he would return after his mission, when a pudgy nurse waddled out from a pair of swinging doors, gazing at a clipboard in her fat hand.

"Are the parents of…Zetsu, here?"

Konan shot up with the mention of the girl's name. "Yes. Yes, we here." Kakuzu sighed, sinking back down into his chair and stroking his throbbing temples. Thank the Gods.

"O-Oh, Angel. You are the mother of this child?" The nurse stuttered, slightly flushed from being face to face with an idol.

"Yes." Konan answered shortly, eagerly trying to get the conversation moving along pass the unnecessary. "How is she?"

"I'm sorry but I can't tell you. The doctor just sent me to tell you that the surgery has finished. He is finishing up and should be out soon to speak to you personally."

"Oh, thank you…"

The nurse giddily scurried out and Konan slumped with a deep sigh, propping her chin back in her hand as she went back to observing the crayon scribbles on the wall. Kakuzu snorted and checked the clock. It was midnight. Looks like that bounty would have to wait another day. Right now all he wanted was to confirm the girl's life or death, then go back to the cabin to rest. Thankfully, the wait for the doctor wasn't nearly as agonizing as thirty minutes later, a nerdy-looking man in a white coat exited into the waiting room.

"Ah yes, are the parents of Zetsu here?"

Konan perked up. "Yes." The doctor walked over to greet her with his hand extended, but stopped mid-step, staring at Kakuzu with Kakuzu staring right back.

"K-Kakuzu?"

Konan flinched when Kakuzu spontaneously erupted into genuine laughter, the sound foreign originating from him. "Well if isn't Ryu Hitoshi?" Kakuzu stood and yanked the shorter male into a semi-embrace, thumping his hand hard enough against his back that it shook him and made his thick-rimmed glasses threaten to titter off his narrow nose.

"Kakuzu, I thought you were…well, I didn't know what to think! You look amazing!" The doctor, Ryu Hitoshi, babbled and stepped back to admire the man. "Certainly not the wrinkled, grey-haired old man I saw last!"

Kakuzu smirked. "The benefits of Kinjutsu."

Konan cleared her throat, interrupting the reunion. "You two know each other?"

"Ryu was a doctor of the prison I served at in Takigakure. We became close after he was assigned to my care."

"Ah, great. Now what about Zetsu?"

"Oh yes," Dr. Ryu said, pushing his taped glasses back onto his nose as he read the clipboard in his hand. "We repaired what we were able to and thankfully, none of her organs were damaged and neither was her vertebral column so the majority of the damage was external. However, due to the trauma and the amount of chakra our medics had to use, she has fallen into a coma." Konan gasped, muttering 'oh my god' and her eyes became hazy with unshed tears. "We have her on blood transfusions and under twenty-four-hour surveillance."

"Will she survive?"

Dr. Ryu sighed, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Angel, but I cannot not say. Due to the severity of her condition, anything could result badly for her. Including an infection or reaction to the blood transfusions. As it is, she has a less than a twenty-percent chance of surviving the night, and the chance barely increasing for the week. I'm sorry again."

Konan wiped her eyes, the moisture smearing her lavender eye shadow. "Can I see her?"

"I'm sorry, but I cannot allow visitors due to the threat of contamination."

She nodded and clasped his hand in hers. "I understand. Thank you, doctor." Dr. Ryu returned the gesture, struggling to remain stoic in response to the woman's distress. "I'm going to return to the Land of River and report back about Zetsu. I'll be back tomorrow to check up on her." Suddenly, she turned toward Kakuzu, orbs of fireballs ablaze through the veil of wetness. "I hope you're happy, Kakuzu. You tortured that poor girl to her death. The money will never repay the damage you've done."

Kakuzu did not grant her the pleasure of a reply and Konan left, shoulders trembling as she walked off. Dr. Ryu sighed, scratching his cheek in a ruse as he mopped away the tears welled on his eyelashes. "I hate this job sometimes. What was this girl's relation to Angel and God?" There were those trigger words again that Kakuzu was beginning to loath.

"Just a stray brought in from the rain."

"Oh, I see. Well, it's been hours since I last ate. Care to join me to my office? We can catch up."

Kakuzu agreed and followed his old comrade as Dr. Ryu steered him towards his office which was on the opposite side of the wing, away from the rooms of sickly and sniveling children. Once inside, he locked the door for privacy and sat behind his desk while Kakuzu sat across from him with his arms and legs crossed.

"So, when did you become involved with the Akatsuki?" The doctor asked as he scrounged up a cucumber sandwich and canteen of coffee from his suitcase.

"A year ago. How the hell does everyone know about us? I thought we were just a burgeoning mercenary group." Kakuzu grunted, kindly objecting when his friend offered him a cup of cold coffee.

"Certainly not here. The Akatsuki was the organization led by God and Angel that freed Amegakure from Hanzō."

Kakuzu pinched the bridge of his nose from the nonchalant remark. "So many fucking questions about that statement. Who is God? Konan is Angel, but why? The hell happened to Hanzō?"

"I'm surprised you are unfamiliar with this. I would have thought that they would have told you about their achievements considering you are now a member of the Akatsuki. Nevertheless, I can explain it," Dr. Ryu took a bite of his sandwich and washed it down before beginning the recent history of Amegakure.

"At the eve of the Third World War, an organization known as the Akatsuki emerged. At first they were focused on helping the sick and poor but eventually they started a Civil War to overthrow Hanzō. Hanzō responded with slaughtering their members and the organization disappeared. Then one day, two survivors of the Akatsuki reappeared and assassinated Hanzō and all his associates. They were labeled as God and Angel and have been governing Amegakure ever since." The explanation stunned Kakuzu as his mind reeled to comprehend it. If that was all true, then it explained everything. The casual security of Amegakure, the fact that everyone was cozy with a fugitive walking freely among them, Konan and Leader's interest in the village and Konan's pet name. Of course, there were still burning questions too like the largest of them all: How?

"Why the hell have I not heard of this in the papers? Hanzō's assassination would make the world headlines." Kakuzu commented, flabbergasted.

Dr. Ryu shrugged, adjusting his oversized glasses again. "Amegakure is a very secretive village. I did not know of Hanzō's death until my employment at the hospital."

"Speaking of which, how the hell did you leave Takigakure? Was your involvement in my "escape", ever discovered?"

Dr. Ryu wiped his hands on the inside of his coat as he finished his sandwich. "No, I wasn't. After your "death", I insisted on your autopsy to confirm your matter of death but the Warden was so eager to dispose of your body, he immediately wheeled you off to the morgue. After you escaped and killed the Elders that night, an investigation was launched but due to the Warden's actions that day, I was ruled as an innocent party in the matter. Afterwards, I submitted my resignation at the prison and left Takigakure. I studied to be a pediatrician and came to Amegakure."

There was an uncomfortable moment of silence before Kakuzu cleared his throat, mindlessly scrapping his fingers through his hair. "Ryu, I'm sorry for lying to you. If you knew my true intentions, you would have never assisted me in my escape."

Dr. Ryu chuckled with an awkward smile. "Truth be told; I probably wouldn't have either. I preferred your story about wanting to die off the prison grounds. It was more appealing then knowing it was because you planned to assassinate the Elders." There was another period of quiet between the two men and pediatrician decided to abandon the topic in favour of something else. "So, that girl. A nurse mentioned to me that she was Angel's daughter? Is that true?"

"No, she isn't. She's just some brat I rescued from a dump."

Dr. Ryu quirked a brown eyebrow as he sipped at his beverage. "You rescued her?"

Kakuzu snorted, realizing how poorly worded that was. "Not voluntarily. She was supposed to a black check for the organization but certain parties have gotten too attached to her." Dr. Ryu experienced a mixture of unsettlement and being unruffled with Kakuzu's proclamation about the girl's worth. Afterall, the man had single-handedly run the prison financially from behind the scenes. Money was his passion. But, a selling a child? He had also heard Angel mentioned something about 'torture'.

"She must be special then."

"She has the Mayfly." Kakuzu said casually.

Dr. Ryu spat out his mouthful of coffee and Kakuzu scowled as he wiped droplets of the fluid from his shades. "The Mayfly? I thought that Kekkei Genkai went extinct during the Second World War due to complications with the bloodline. It mutated into a type of brain cancer?"

Kakuzu scoffed. "You actually believed that?"

"Well, I'm a doctor. Not a conspiracy theorist." The other brunette explained, wiping up the splattered liquid from his desk. "Where did you find her?"

"Kusagakure. Amegakure isn't the only village with its secrets."

"That would explain a lot. The failed activation of a Mayfly would correspond with her dramatic injury. I was baffled how a child could be bisected internally instead of externally." Dr. Ryu uttered, recalling his memory of old medical texts that spoke about injuries associated with the botching of a Kekkei Genkai. "Was she the only one?"

"She is now. There was another that attacked the Iwagakure encampment and was killed by their captain in a suicide attack."

"The Old Kusagakure Massacre? That was the real cause of it?"

"Yes. You should stop reading the news. Reality is crazier than fiction."

"It really is." There was a high-pinched dinging and Dr. Ryu plucked his beeper from his belt buckle, pushing up his glasses as he read the text. "I'm sorry, Kakuzu, but I must get back to work. One of my patients is experiencing projectile vomiting." Kakuzu cringed at the delightful image.

"It's alright. I am glad to have spoken to you again, Ryu. I did not expect to see you again after my escape from Takigakure." Kakuzu stood, his back cracking audibly from the cramped chair he had spent the last half-an-hour in.

"Well we will be seeing a lot more of each other now that you aligned with the Akatsuki. It'll be like the prison days again." Dr. Ryu lightly joked, actually earning a bemused smirk from his convicted felon friend.

"Indeed. I'll be back again soon to retrieve the girl's body." The two men shook hands, the smaller male wincing when his hand was crushed in the other man's unyielding grasp.

"Hopefully it doesn't come to that. I never wish ill on my patients."

'_Hopefully it does,'_ Kakuzu thought as he left the office. Otherwise, he would have to pray for the chance the girl survived physically, but not mentally due to the Mayfly.

…

**AN: **_Wow. This chapter finished so quickly. My quickest yet I believe. Thankfully, it is my midterm this week so I only had one math lesson and had the entire week off so I spent it franticly writing._ _This chapter came out decently for exposition dump. The next chapter shall be the same and the one after will return to active plot. Please forgive any mistakes. _

_**Next Chapter: **__The Mayfly results._

_Until next time. _


	17. Arc 1: Chapter 16

**AN: **_I forgot to mention this last chapter but obviously, I know nothing about medicine or medical procedures. I've only had two very minor surgeries in my life and never been hospitalized so my knowledge it very limited. Everything I write is either from light research or made up altogether. Apologies to any medical students I am enraging. If you are familiar with it and can inform me otherwise, I will gladly change it for better accuracy. _

**Samama: **Thank youso much for your greatly for your awesomely, generous review. I am so glad you like this story and the OCs I've created for it. I have no talent for creating original characters and I'm relieved to hear they are not insufferable to read. Also, do not fret. Kakuzu's one and only infatuation in this tale is money, haha.

**Guest:** Thank you for the kind review! I am happy that you are liking everything about the story thus far and hope you will continue to like it. Although give Kakuzu credit, people are capable of change.

**Warning(s): Language (High), Genderbend (Low), Out of Character (Konan), Original Character(s) (Ryu)**

…

**Wasteland**

**Mayfly Arc**

**Chapter 16**

Twenty percent rate of survival was too low for Zetsu. She withstood to the next day, then to the end of the week. Then to the next week and next. Soon enough it had been a whole month and she breathed on.

Meanwhile, Kakuzu had been passing the time with back-to-back missions for pocket change. The war was winding to an end and everyone was desperate to snuff out someone to win the war so work was plenty. Between each mission, he would visit Dr. Ryu in Amegakure to converse and inquire about the girl's condition only to be told each time that she had survived another day or week but remained comatose. He also spoke about Konan's unwavering devotion as she frequented the hospital to speak with Dr. Ryu and spent hours in the waiting room in case Zetsu awoke. It had been a few weeks into the new month and Kakuzu returned to the cabin to report back about his latest success when Leader informed him about the "good" news.

"Ah, Kakuzu. You finished at the perfect time. Zetsu has awoken from her coma." Leader said when Kakuzu descended into his basement office. Kakuzu's response was a curt inhale.

"You're kidding me."

"No, I am not. Konan has refused to update me further on her condition so I need you to go to the hospital and report back. She may have survived the Mayfly but her mental state is a mystery." This friendly reminder perked up Kakuzu attitude. It was true. She may be physically alive but brain dead. There was a still an impressive percentage in his favour.

"Very well." He tossed his payment on Leader's desk before leaving. The envelop collided with the paperwork on the wooden surface and causing it to explode across in the office like a bomb filled with paper shrapnel.

The ginger sighed, dumping his pierced chin in his hand as his work fluttered around him. "I need to start filing everything."

…

Kakuzu journeyed to Amegakure where the Perimeter Patrol, partners Takeshi and Satoshi, addressed him by name like old friends and shook his hand as they guided him through village gates. Due to his affiliation with the Akatsuki, he had become a local celebrity overnight and residents would bless him as he walked past. When he arrived at the hospital, the nurse stationed at the front desk smiled and politely welcomed him before informing him she would message Dr. Ryu. He thanked her and proceeded to the Pediatric Wing. He stepped into the abominable children's waiting room that was teeming with unruly, sick brats today and their neglectful parents. Mercibly, only a moment later, Dr. Ryu exited through the swinging doors of the patient hall to greet him.

"Hello Kakuzu. Here for the newest updates on Zetsu?" Dr. Ryu asked as they shook hands, Kakuzu careful not to squeeze his friend's fragile hand too tightly.

"Yes. I heard the girl was awake."

"Ah yes. She recovered from her coma a few days ago." Ryu gestured Kakuzu along and the other man pursued closely behind as the doctor escorted them out of the waiting room and to his office for privacy during their conversation.

"Has she been conscious?" Kakuzu questioned once they were safely in his cramped office and away from prying eyes and perked ears.

"In and out. We have her under heavy sedatives for pain and infection so she awakens for a few minutes at a time before falling back unconscious."

"Has she spoken or behaved out while conscious?"

"No, none of that. Just an opening of the eyes and a whine then out again." The younger brunette snapped his fingers to illustrate.

Kakuzu sniffed, adjusting himself in his seat so not to apply too much pressure onto the porcelain masks on his back. "I see." That was discouraging. No inhuman screeching or teeth gnashing yet.

"Due to the risk, we are not having medics operate further on her and leaving the rest of the healing to her body," The pediatrician expounded further though his guest had checked out at this point, uninterested in her physical wellbeing. "It is progressing well, but she may require skin grafts to encourage it."

"How soon will she be removed from the pain killers?" Kakuzu insisted, confusing the doctor.

"Err—I cannot say. After the first reconstructive surgery, the dosage will be lessened but she will require them until she is completely healed and maybe even afterwards depending on how lasting the trauma is." Ryu paused, realizing Kakuzu was hinting at something he refused to say outright. "Is there a reason you are so interested in her being conscious and coherent?"

Kakuzu sighed. "Do you happen to know anything about the Mayfly, outside of rumours and myths, Ryu?"

"Actually, after you informed me about Zetsu's bloodline, I did research on the Kekkei Genkai." Ryu proudly piped but the moment that escaped his lips, the realization struck him of exactly what Kakuzu had been so concerned about. "Oh, I understand now. You are curious if the Mayfly has infected the chakraways of her brain?"

"Yes."

Ryu sighed. He had never thought about the mentality threat of the Mayfly when healing the physical effect of it. "It is impossible to know until she is conscious. I can request the medics to examine her chakraways for infection but the answer wouldn't be definite."

"It's alright. I'll just check in regularly." Kakuzu dismissed begrudgingly with a heavy sigh through his bandana. This damned girl was more of a burden than she had any right to be. Every day she inconvenienced him only raised the price he intended to sell her off for. Soon there wouldn't be enough money in the world.

"Very well. Would you like to see Zetsu? Her condition, I mean. Angel—err, Konan, is currently with her. She hasn't left her side since she recovered from her coma." Ryu blabbered, pushing his oversized glasses back up the bridge of his nose. His endearments were not shared.

Kakuzu threw his shoulders into a half-hearted shrug. "Sure, why the hell not? See how badly she butchered herself."

"Alright. I have appointments to attend to so I cannot join you. We relocated Zetsu from ICU into a normal room. She's in room 344. It's down the hall, to the right and on the right-hand side." The two men bid each other farewell and Dr. Ryu left to tend to his young patients while Kakuzu followed the directions to Zetsu's room.

When he found it, the door was cracked open to which he silently snooped inside. Konan was present as Ryu said, stationed at Zetsu's bedside with her back facing the door so she did not see him. The woman perked up when the door creaked behind her and turned, expecting Dr. Ryu or a nurse but her expression soured when she saw Kakuzu bowing through the short doorway.

"What are you doing here, Kakuzu?" Konan barked, glancing at the button to call a nurse and have them contact security to escort Kakuzu out. She did not want him within even a single foot of Zetsu right now.

"Came to check on the girl." He answered, ignoring the intensity of her eagle-like gaze as he observed the bedridden girl from a safe distance. Zetsu was cocooned in the fluid-stained hospital-issued blanketing and buried beneath miles of thick tubing and wiring which plugged into every patch of visible flesh with a breathing tube lodged in her throat. The petite teenager appeared even smaller surrounded by the massive pieces of equipment which monitored her heartbeat and vital signs and assisted her breathing. She looked horrible, without a doubt worse beneath the covers, but alive. _Unbelievably_ alive.

"You've seen her, now leave. She's alive and survived the Mayfly so you can't sell her off. She's of no interest to you anymore." Konan hissed and firmly pointed a manicured finger towards the door, the control panel to call for assistance in her other hand with her thumb poised over the large, red button.

"Not yet." He muttered beneath his breath but blunette's acute hearing easily caught it—though he had not bothered to hide it.

"What do you mean by _that_?" She retaliated.

"She's alive, but she has not yet survived the Mayfly." He said, crossing his arms as he stared at the unconscious teenager over the rims of his sunglasses. "When she awakens, she'll be nothing but the empty-headed feral she has always been." The insult was the last straw for Konan.

"Get out." She seethed and stood abruptly from her seat causing the chair to tumble over into the hospital machinery with a noisy crash, her teeth gritted and hands balled into fists. "Get out!"

Kakuzu obeyed willingly so she could not manually escort him out and was gone before security and nurses had arrived in response of Konan's screaming and frantic pressing of the call button.

…

After the incident at the hospital, Konan avoided Kakuzu like a walking plague and he did the same to her, occupying himself with the swiftly piling commissions for the Akatsuki—which she did not bother to help with as she was too busy playing mother in his personal opinion. It was three whole weeks before he returned to the cabin from a practicality long mission. It was before the break of dawn and his exhausted mind was focused on filling his grumbling stomach and resting his head when he entered the house just as Konan was leaving and the two nearly collided. Both instantly stepped back, exchanging silent leering for a solid minute before Kakuzu broke the tension between them when noticing the gift bags in the female's hands. They were from a children's store.

"Hmph. Have my predictions about the girl become truth and now you are selling off her clothes?" He inquired with a smirk, pointing at one of the ugly, pink bags which Konan shielded behind her back so he could not see the contents.

"No, they're presents. You were wrong actually, Kakuzu. She woke up and is the happy and sweet child she was before all of this happened. She just had her first surgery to repair the damage that _you_ caused."

He snorted. "Tch. Impossible."

"It became possible." She rebutted quietly before rudely shouldering past him and stomping out the front door.

Kakuzu scowled as he watched the woman stormed into the dense, enveloping forest. "We'll see."

After recharging with a meal and nap, Kakuzu walked to Amegakure and had arrived in the hospital just as Dr. Ryu had concluded a simple appointment with a single mother and her toddler son when his friend entered the ward. He bid his young patient goodbye with a friendly ruffling of the hair and once the two walked off to the front reception desk, he turned to Kakuzu who had been quietly waiting behind him.

"Good morning, Kakuzu." Ryu greeted him in his default, cheery manner as he adjusted his glasses.

"Morning. I'm here about the girl. I heard a little rumour that she is awake and 'happy and sweet?'" Kakuzu said, skipping the bullshit about his current presence. Immediately, Ryu's smile faltered and that facial gesture alone answered Kakuzu's burning question.

"Yes, about that. It is true but—"

Before he could conclude his sentence, there was a loud crash and everyone in the adjacent waiting room jumped out of their skins including Ryu which caused his glasses to plunge off his face and clatter to the ground. Those capable of seeing stared at Kakuzu in mute shock as he stood with his fist embedded in the green wall beside him, the impact having been strong enough to leave a large, crater-like hole and crack the foundation to the ceiling.

"You're _fucking_ kidding me."

"I'm sorry, Kakuzu." Ryu apologized as he crouched down and blindly scrambled for his missing spectacles.

The apology did not soothe Kakuzu. His short temper had been triggered and the white-hot flames were roaring as he shoved his fist deeper into the wall making the hole expand in size and pieces of dry wall crumbled away. It was _impossible_. _Impossible._ That little brat _survived_ _again?_ The odds of survival had been astronomical. She had a smaller chance of being struck by lightning _twice_ and winning a lottery than living through this. And yet, the Mayfly—notorious for maiming its hosts and rending them into archaic man-eaters had failed to kill her not just _once_, but _twice_? _Impossible! _

Ryu managed to locate his glasses and straightened back up while cramming them back into his narrow nose. "Kakuzu, please—" His feeble pleading fell on deaf ears, however, when response was a new hole being punched into creation and the doctor wisely stepped backwards out of range of any swinging fists. He knew from personal experience it was better to let Kakuzu vent his anger than interfere. Save himself a broken jaw and/or worse. Parents snatched up their crying children and hurried out with nurses and other doctors trying to stop them with fickle reinsurance.

Kakuzu unleashed the rest of his frustration as he expanded the second chasm to mirror its processor. This little _shit _just costed him an _unsurmountable_ capital. All she had to do was either _die_ or be _lamed_ by the Mayfly and she did _neither._ Two of the simplest things ever and she failed to do both. If she did not master the Mayfly, then what would they do with her? They couldn't sell her now. They would have to dump her back in Kusagakure and everything which happened would be _worthless._ _Worthless!_

Kakuzu took deep, even breathes to calm his scorching nerves and ran his fingers through his long locks, the metaphorical red slowly fading from his vision as his rationality returned. He extracted his throbbing fist from the wall and loudly cracked his knuckles while analyzing the damage he had inflicted to the powerless surface. It was tame, by his own standards, and he conjured it up to being behind on his sleep schedule. Otherwise, the entire floor would have been demolished into dust with people included. Once the last of his hearts steadied, he refocused on Dr. Ryu, the lanky man having scurried back out of the danger zone and was wearily staring from the safety of a room doorway.

Kakuzu said nothing—he had nothing to say and instead, he marched away towards the elevator in a huff, shouldering a nurse on the way out and knocking her down with a yelp and a flutter of paperwork. When he reached the automatic exit, he jammed his thumb against the downward button so hard that it was embedded into the wall with a crackling. The elevator stalled as the simple malfunction rendered it into emergency shutdown and with a snarl, the brunette resorted to stomping off to the stairwell as his method of leaving instead, toppling another nurse unfortunate enough to cross his path.

"Kakuzu, wait! We took a MRI scan—" Dr. Ryu called after, waving about a folder but had been too slow to approach him about it as he had already gone, leaving behind downed staff and hurricane of paperwork in his wake. "—of Zetsu's brain…and I have the results…here…" The man's timid voice trailed away into a sigh as she stared at the stained binder in his hand.

After a moment, he directed his attention to the pulverized wall beside him and analyzed the damage, wincing when calculating the cost of repair which would eat a decent chunk out of his paycheck. That aside, since he could not share the news with Kakuzu, there was one other person who would be interested in the girl's results and with that, he walked away from the disarray left by his companion's wrath.

…

Konan had been sharing all her newest purchases with Zetsu, who had just roused from her sedative-induced stupor for the first time today, when there was a polite rapping on the door.

"Come in." She granted and the door creaked open with Dr. Ryu poking his head inside and the woman perked up at the friendly face. "Oh, Dr. Ryu, hello."

"Hello, hello," Dr. Ryu stepped inside the room, pausing when seeing Zetsu conscious and gleefully burrowing into a gift bag, flinging aside colourful paper stuffing. "Oh goodness, look whose awake. Hello, Zetsu. How are you feeling today, darling?"

"Good." Zetsu chirped, too invested in her unboxing to spare a glance at the doctor. She withdrew a teddy bear from the package which adorned a velvet, pink bow around its neck. With an elated squeak, she hugged the stuffed animal before setting it aside along with the rest of her presents which included other plush animals and new clothing.

He smiled at the precious girl. It had only been a single day since her reconstruction surgery but she was bright and bushy-tailed. Perhaps due to the influx of presents and attention but regardless, he believed she was finally on the road to recovery after such traumatic episode. She had another procedure to repair the rest of the damage inflicted by the Mayfly but once everything was said and done, she should be in perfect health—minus a few problems. Speaking of which—

"Oh, yes. I have the results of Zetsu's MRI."

"Oh, that's perfect." Konan said. She decreased the volume to children's show playing on the television installed on the ceiling so the doctor could speak, much to Zetsu's vocal displeasure.

Dr. Ryu walked to the illuminator installed on the wall and affixed one of the brain scans onto it, the right-hand side view. Konan relocated her chair on the opposite side of the bed for a better view and even Zetsu temporarily detached herself from the singing puppets on the screen to watch in mild curiosity.

"This is Zetsu's brain. These trails are the chakra pathways," The pediatrician established, tracing the thin, white highlights on the photograph with a pen which spiderwebbed everywhere through the muscle. He then pointed at the traces of dark matter which littered the majority of the veins. "This is the infection caused by the Mayfly."

"There's so much of it." Konan gasped, staring at the black dots on the image which replicated mold. Zetsu quickly lost interest with the techno-babble and returned to her simple programing, humming along with the obnoxious tune playing.

"Yes, there is, but, it has not restricted any passages—yet." The brunette responded lamely while fixing his glasses again, attempting to inject a little optimism towards the dire situation.

"Is there anything that can be done for it? Not antidote it, but stop it from worsening?"

"Well, thankfully, we have options. I've been reviewing the paperwork you generously forwarded to me about Zetsu and the Mayfly. Thank you again," She smiled in response to the gratitude. "Per documentation, the doctor originally responsible for Zetsu's supervision produced a chemical cocktail capable of suppressing the Mayfly's pollution. Unfortunately, it was an experimental drug with dramatic side effects."

"I read about it," She testified, pausing to gaze at Zetsu, sparing a grieved smile at the teenager who was currently playing with another one of her new toys while a commercial break interrupted her show. "If possible, I would like that she not be subjected to that drug again."

"That is absolutely fine with me—and like I said, we have options." He reassured her immediately. "Unfortunately, because the Mayfly mutations progressed so quickly and the bloodline was eradicated quicker, little studies of it were done and fewer were published. But, from a glance, it behaves like a cancer—so we can try chemotherapy. It would be similar to the treatment she received before, but without the tragic side effects in reference of memory loss and stunted mental growth."

Dr. Ryu halted to analyze the scan again and think it over further while chewing on the cap of his pen. "We could also perform a procedure known as 'Chakra Dialysis'—clean the sick chakra. However, it would be a weekly procedure to prevent further pollution." After another minute of further evaluation, he heaved a defeated sigh before focusing back on his patient and her self-appointed caretaker. "Either route chosen shall not be smooth. She'll need routine appointments and screening on weekly basis to assure her Mayfly cannot escalate outside 'safe' levels." Safe being used as a relatively loose term.

Konan mirrored his discouraged sigh. "I did not expect it to be. But, we have to do something. I cannot just let her deteriorate to this heinous bloodline." She granted Zetsu a sympathetic look as she spoke. Her olive-coloured hair was growing out again, mimicking an untrimmed lawn and she swiped her hand across the unkempt locks to straighten them, making the girl whine as it tickled her and causing a weak smile to grace the woman's face.

"And she will not. I promise you, Angel—err, Konan, I will do everything I can to help Zetsu." Dr. Ryu said, cradling the folder in his hand against his chest to illustrate his unwavering devotion to both females.

The blunette's smile widened. "Thank you, Dr. Ryu."

"You're welcome. At this moment, however, we should concentrate on supporting her through this current recovery." He walked to the hospital bed and gently grasped Zetsu's left arm from its sling to analyze it. Her forearm had been chosen as the first site of donation for her sundered waist and had been thoroughly stripped of skin, leaving a hideously raw, red gaping wound which had a transparent dressing plastered atop it to shield it from infection. "It is too premature to consider the first reconstructive surgery a success as it takes a full thirty-six hours to confirm if the graft has been taken. But obviously, the pain relievers are helping as she is experiencing little to no discomfort with both areas of extraction and the implantation site thus far which is encouraging."

Predictably, Zetsu whimpered as he investigated the delicate extremity and immediately, he released her arm in response, petting the girl's grassy head to console her. "We'll keep her under close observation for the next week and if there are no complications and the healing in on agenda, then we'll schedule the final surgery within the following week. But, the details can be explained later. I'm positive I've rambled on enough for you both today. Isn't that right, sweetheart?" He smiled at his patient, ruffling her hair more.

"Yes." She voiced, banishing her intrusive hand from her hair which was being tangled from his tousling. Dr. Ryu laughed in response with Konan echoing him.

"Thank you again, Dr. Ryu." Konan reiterated, firmly shaking hands with the physician as he walked to the door for his leave.

"You do not have to keep thanking me, Konan. This is my job, afterall." He answered, returning her generous gesture before turning back towards Zetsu and waving. "Goodbye, Zetsu. I'll be back tonight to check on you again. Don't have too much fun, alright?"

"Yes." Came Zetsu's mechanical response, her golden orbs glued to the colourful animations on the television.

Dr. Ryu chuckled and left the room. However, pausing outside the door when a memory flickered in his brain and instantly he reversed back into the doorway, correcting his cumbersome glasses while he stared at Konan. "Oh yes, Kakuzu was here."

The origamitress uncharacteristically scowled in return from the mention of her second uttermost disliked person. "Was he here about Zetsu?"

"Yes. I explained her situation to him. Attempted to—in the least…"

"Took it well, did he?" She inquired sarcastically.

"Yes, very well. My upcoming paycheck shall be spent repairing the wall in the waiting room which has been punched apart." He recounted, sighing. Rent may be late this month.

"Just a single wall? _Very well_."

…

**AN:** _I apologize, I apologize for the lack of updating there has been but since the beginning of the summer season, my life has been a hellish rollercoaster of college and heartbreak. I've barely survived the fall semester and can breathe again until the spring semester starts. During then, I'll slave over this story and publish as many chapters possible as repayment for my absence. _

_Thank you and apologies again for the delay. _

_**Next Chapter: **__With Zetsu's survival of the Mayfly, training beneath Kakuzu resumes to harness the bloodline. _

_Until next time. _


End file.
